Preliminary experiences and results with the Munich version of the Andreasen Scale. Assessment of productive and negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients.

The Andreasen Scale (SANS), an instrument for evaluating negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients, was translated at the Psychiatric Hospital of Munich and tested on 35 chronic schizophrenic inpatients at the Regensburg State Mental Hospital. In addition, psychopathology was evaluated with the BPRS, sociodemographic data were collected, and cognitive performance was evaluated by the MMS. Also, VBR was determined on the basis of CAT scans. Our results suggest that the SANS is a reliable instrument for measuring negative symptoms; however, the symptom complexes are affected by age, duration of illness and hospitalization, thus making a clear distinction between negative symptoms per se and the effects of hospitalization questionable.