OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the presence of different subgroups, via age-at-onset (AAO) analysis, in a schizophrenia population consecutively recruited through an Early Psychosis Service in London, Canada. METHOD: Admixture analysis was applied in order to identify a model of separate normal distribution of AAO characterized by different means, variances and population proportions to allow for evaluation of different subgroups in a sample of 187 unrelated patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, diagnosis of schizophrenia. RESULTS: The best-fitting model suggested three subgroups with means and standard deviations of 16.8 ± 1.9, 22.3 ± 2.1 and 32.7 ± 5.9 years comprising 41%, 30% and 29% of the schizophrenia sample, respectively. These three subgroups were categorized as early, intermediate and late onset with cutoffs determined by admixture analysis to be 19 and 26 years of age, respectively. In our investigation, the definition of early-onset schizophrenia is the main outcome. We considered the clinical variables mainly related to the heritability and neurobiology of schizophrenia. Single status was strongly associated with early onset (P<.001). The male gender (P=.023), as well as a history of drug abuse (P=.004), was significantly associated with early onset. Interestingly, lower academic achievement was also associated with early-onset schizophrenia (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Overall, our study showed that a typical early-onset schizophrenia patient is more likely to be a single male, with a history of drug abuse and birth complications, and lower academic achievement as compared to the late-onset subgroup.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the presence of different subgroups, via age-at-onset (AAO) analysis, in a schizophrenia population consecutively recruited through an Early Psychosis Service in London, Canada. METHOD: Admixture analysis was applied in order to identify a model of separate normal distribution of AAO characterized by different means, variances and population proportions to allow for evaluation of different subgroups in a sample of 187 unrelated patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, diagnosis of schizophrenia. RESULTS: The best-fitting model suggested three subgroups with means and standard deviations of 16.8 ± 1.9, 22.3 ± 2.1 and 32.7 ± 5.9 years comprising 41%, 30% and 29% of the schizophrenia sample, respectively. These three subgroups were categorized as early, intermediate and late onset with cutoffs determined by admixture analysis to be 19 and 26 years of age, respectively. In our investigation, the definition of early-onset schizophrenia is the main outcome. We considered the clinical variables mainly related to the heritability and neurobiology of schizophrenia. Single status was strongly associated with early onset (P<.001). The male gender (P=.023), as well as a history of drug abuse (P=.004), was significantly associated with early onset. Interestingly, lower academic achievement was also associated with early-onset schizophrenia (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Overall, our study showed that a typical early-onset schizophreniapatient is more likely to be a single male, with a history of drug abuse and birth complications, and lower academic achievement as compared to the late-onset subgroup.
Authors: Lauren V Moran; Grace A Masters; Samira Pingali; Bruce M Cohen; Elizabeth Liebson; R P Rajarethinam; Dost Ongur Journal: J Psychiatr Res Date: 2015-09-21 Impact factor: 4.791
Authors: Emily J Ricketts; Ivar Snorrason; Katharina Kircanski; Jennifer R Alexander; Jordan T Stiede; Hardian Thamrin; Christopher A Flessner; Martin E Franklin; Nancy J Keuthen; Michael R Walther; John Piacentini; Dan J Stein; Douglas W Woods Journal: Ann Clin Psychiatry Date: 2019-08 Impact factor: 2.691