Lorenzo Pelizza1, Giulia Landi1, Clara Pellegrini2, Emanuela Quattrone1, Silvia Azzali3, Pietro Pellegrini1, Emanuela Leuci1. 1. Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Parma, Italy. 2. Psychiatric Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy. 3. Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Abstract
Purpose: Identifying distinct dimensions of negative symptoms in First Episode Schizophrenia (FES) might result in a better understanding and treatment of this invalidating symptomatology. Aim of this study was to examine negative symptom structure in FES patients using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Materials and Methods: All 147 participants, aged 12-35 years, completed the PANSS and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed to investigate PANSS negative symptom structure in the FES total sample. Results: A 2-factor model (i.e. "Expressive Deficits" and "Asociality" dimensions) was identified. Only "Expressive Deficits" domain had a significant negative correlation with baseline GAF score.Conclusions: This bipartite solution seems to be adequate to describe the phenomenological variety of negative symptoms experienced by FES individuals at the point of entry in early intervention services.
Purpose: Identifying distinct dimensions of negative symptoms in First Episode Schizophrenia (FES) might result in a better understanding and treatment of this invalidating symptomatology. Aim of this study was to examine negative symptom structure in FES patients using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Materials and Methods: All 147 participants, aged 12-35 years, completed the PANSS and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed to investigate PANSS negative symptom structure in the FES total sample. Results: A 2-factor model (i.e. "Expressive Deficits" and "Asociality" dimensions) was identified. Only "Expressive Deficits" domain had a significant negative correlation with baseline GAF score.Conclusions: This bipartite solution seems to be adequate to describe the phenomenological variety of negative symptoms experienced by FES individuals at the point of entry in early intervention services.
Entities:
Keywords:
Negative symptoms; dimensions; early psychosis; factor analysis; first episode schizophrenia
Authors: Wing Chung Chang; Gregory P Strauss; Anthony O Ahmed; Sandra C Y Wong; Joe K N Chan; Edwin H M Lee; Sherry K W Chan; Christy L M Hui; Sydney H James; Hannah C Chapman; Eric Y H Chen Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2021-03-16 Impact factor: 9.306