Conclusions: In sum, the results of this study support the claim thatthere is a misattribution of semantic salience in schizophrenia meaningthat patients see certain associations between concepts as morerelevant than normal. However this does not seem to explain semanticmemory impairments on other tests and the proposed relationshipbetween salience and positive symptoms was not found in this study.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.12.436

370 – FUNCTIONAL INTEGRITY OF NEURONAL NETWORKSUNDERLYING ATTENTIONAL AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONSIN SCHIZOPHRENIC AND BIPOLAR PATIENTS

O. Gruber1, S. Burkhardt1, E. Gruber1, P. Falkai1.

1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg AugustUniversity, Goettingen, Germany

Presenting Author details: ogruber@gwdg.deVon-Siebold-Str. 5, D-37075 Goettingen, Germany,Tel.: +49 551 3912289; fax: +49 551 392004.

Background: Recent fMRI studies have identified neuronal networksunderlying specific processes of attention and executive function, i.e.mental task preparation and background monitoring of the environ-ment for significant events (1–2). The aim of this study was to examinethe function of these networks in schizophrenia and bipolar affectivedisorder.Methods: 14 schizophrenic and 14 bipolar patients as well as 14healthy controls were matched for age, sex and educational status.They performed a combined oddball and task-switching paradigm. Ineach of the two variants of the experiment geometrical figures had tobe classified according to either their colour or their shape. In the firstsession incongruent stimuli and oddballs were presented in thecurrently irrelevant stimulus dimension in order to evoke responseconflicts and sensory orienting responses. In the second session thecue–stimulus interval was systematically varied to check theparticipants' ability to mentally prepare the upcoming task (2).Results:Generally, both patient groups showed significantly increasedreaction times. Similarly, switch costs were enhanced irrespective ofdiagnosis. In addition, there was a statistical trend for increased effectsof response incongruency of the currently irrelevant stimulusdimension in schizophrenic, but not in bipolar patients. By contrast,both patient groups revealed normal effects of task preparation.Conclusions: These results suggest that beyond a general, possiblydrug-induced slowing of reaction times in both patient groups andbeyond a common deficit in flexible switching between tasksschizophrenia is associated with a more specific deficit in cognitivecontrol processes involved in the processing and resolution of responseconflicts.References:Gruber, O. & Goschke, T. (2004) Acta Psychologica, 115 (2–3), 105–121.Gruber, O., Karch, S., Schlueter, E.K., Falkai, P. & Goschke, T. (2006)NeuroImage, 31, 887–895.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.12.437

371 – COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN PATIENTS WITH BIPOLARI AND BIPOLAR II DISORDER

K. Ha1, J. Choi1, J. Kim1, B. Cha1, T. Ha1.

1Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University BundangHospital, Kyeonggi, Republic of Korea

Presenting Author details: kyooha@snu.ac.kr300 Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, 463-707 Seongnam-si, Kyeonggi-do,Republic of Korea,Tel.: +81 31 787 7431; fax: +82 31 787 4058.

Background: Although neurocognitive impairments have beenwidely reported in mood disorders, few studies have comparedsubjects with bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. The purpose ofthe current study is to compare the profile of neurocognitive deficits inpatients with bipolar I and II disorder.Methods: Performances on a set of tests from 24 patients with bipolar Idisorder, 32 patients with bipolar II disorder, and 29 healthy controlswere measured and compared. Patients were mildly depressiveoutpatients and all subjects were free of any history of substancemisuse, neurological, or medical disease. The test set consisted ofContinuous Performance Test (CPT), California Verbal Learning TestKorean version (K-CVLT), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), Controlled Oral WordAssociation Test (COWA), Trail Making Test B (TMT), Tower ofLondon (TOL) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).Results: Both patients groups showed comparable ratings ofdepression severity and performed poorly on the CPT, K-CVLT,WMS, ROCF, COWA and WCST, compared to controls. Patients withbipolar II disorder showed poor performances of an intermediate levelbetween patient with bipolar I disorder and controls in the CPT, K-CLVT, WMS, ROCF and COWA. Compared to bipolar II patients,bipolar I patients performed poorly on several measures of the K-CVLT and ROCF.Conclusions: These findings indicate global cognitive impairments inbipolar I and II disorders. Bipolar I disorder is more severely impaired inverbal and visual memory.Acknowledgement: This study was supported by a grant fromBiomedical Brain Research Center of the Korea Health 21 R&DProject funded by the Ministry of Health &Welfare, Republic of Korea(A040042).

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.12.438

372 – NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING INADOLESCENTS WITH EARLY-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS: MEASURED WITH THEMATRICS BATTERY

A. Holmén1, M. Juuhl-Langseth2, R. Thormodsen3, I. Melle4,B.R. Rund3.

1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway2Research Unit, SSBU, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway3Asker and Barum Hospital, Norway4Division of Psychiatry, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

186 ABSTRACTS / Schizophrenia Research 98 (2008) 3–199