The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB): clinical and cognitive correlates

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and clinical correlates of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) which was originally developed to be an endpoint for cognitive enhancement clinical trials. In a sample of 117 people with schizophrenia and 77 healthy control participants we found the following: a) the MCCB was highly sensitive to the type and level of impairment typically observed in schizophrenia, b) the MCCB composite score was highly correlated with WASI Estimated Full Scale IQ score, c) that the MCCB domain scores were generally moderately-highly intercorrelated, d) that MCCB performance was minimally related to clinical symptom type and severity, and e) the MCCB is sensitive to employment status with better performance in employed vs. unemployed patients. These data support the validity of the MCCB as a sensitive measure of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and suggest that MCCB performance is relevant for functional outcome. The data also suggest that the MCCB domain scores may offer limited resolution on discrete cognitive functions.