RESEARCH UPDATE
Cognitive impairment is a core dimension of psychopathology and an important determinant of quality of life and functioning in patients with psychosis. Psychosis is associated with impaired cognition in many domains, including attention/vigilance, learning and memory, reasoning and problem solving, processing speed, and social cognition.
Vitamin D is a neurosteroid hormone with a central role in CNS development and function.1 Lower vitamin D levels are associated with cognitive impairments in the elderly.2 Schizophrenia is associated with vitamin D deficiency,3 and a small study in first-episode psychosis found an association between lower vitamin D levels and greater cognitive impairment.4