Enhancing Functional Outcomes in Schizophrenia:
Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Strategies
A CME-Certified Initiative

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The Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS)

This 18-item interview-based tool assesses cognitive deficits and the degree to which they might affect day-to-day functioning. Both the patient and an informant (eg, family member or other caregiver) are interviewed. The scale assesses the domains of attention, memory, reasoning and problem solving, working memory, language production, and motor skills. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale, with higher ratings reflecting greater impairments. A global score is then generated.

Click here to download the SCoRS Manual, Baseline Questionnaire, and Follow-up Questionnaire.

The Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS)

The ILSS is a comprehensive, objective, performance-focused, easy-to-administer measure of the basic functional living skills of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. One version is designed to be administered to informants (eg, family members or other caregivers), while the other version is designed to elicit the patient's self-report. The informant version (ILSS-I) contains 103 items that assess performance in 12 domains: personal hygiene, appearance and care of clothing, care of personal possessions and living space, food preparation, care of one's own health and safety, money management, transportation, leisure and recreational activities, job seeking, job maintenance, eating behaviors, and social interactions. The self-report version (ILSS-SR) is a simplified version of the ILSS-I and is designed to be used in clinical settings. There are questions for the interviewer as well as for the patient. The ILSS-SR contains 70 items grouped into 10 domains: personal hygiene, appearance and care of clothing, care of personal possessions and living space, food preparation, care of personal health and safety, money management, transportation, leisure and recreational activities, job seeking, and job maintenance.

Click here to download the ILSS-I and ILSS-SR.

The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery

The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) is intended to provide a relatively brief evaluation of key cognitive domains relevant to schizophrenia and related disorders. While primarily designed for research purposes, these tests have clinical utility as well. The MCCB comprises 10 tests that assess 7 cognitive domains. These include:

  • Speed of processing
  • Attention/vigilance
  • Working memory
  • Verbal learning
  • Visual learning
  • Reasoning and problem solving
  • Social cognition

The complete battery with training materials is available for purchase at:

http://www3.parinc.com/products/product.aspx?Productid=MCCB

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