Is there an association between neurocognitive performance and medication adherence in first episode psychosis?

Aim: Medication adherence is a determining factor for symptomatic remission and relapse prevention following a first episode of psychosis (FEP). Neurocognitive abilities have received only scant attention so far as a risk factor for poor adherence but significant impairments with memory and/or planning abilities could play a role. We examined early medication adherence following admission to a specialized clinical programme for FEP. Method: One hundred sixty FEP participants and 35 healthy controls completed an exhaustive neurocognitive assessment. FEP participants were categorized as a function of their medication adherence at 6 months into poor (n = 34), partial (n = 27) and full (n = 99) adherence, respectively. Domain-specific and global measures of cognitive ability were examined. Results: No measure of neurocognition could significantly discriminate amongst the three medication adherence groups. Conclusion: These results suggest no strong associations between neurocognitive abilities and medication adherence in first episode of psychosis.