Do cenesthesias and body image aberration characterize a subgroup in schizophrenia?

To identify and characterize a subgroup of schizophrenia patients with marked and dominating bodily sensations (cenesthesias and body image aberration).

We assessed cenesthesias and different aspects of body image aberration systematically along with common (general, positive and negative symptoms) and ego-psychopathology in 60 patients with acute paranoid schizophrenia. Cluster analysis was applied to identify subgroups. Psychopathology scores of the clusters were compared at admission and after 2 weeks of hospital treatment.

One of the three clusters comprised of 14 patients (23.3%) with marked disturbances of body experience (underestimation of lower extremities, desomatization, boundary loss and diminution). The subgroup was further characterized by significantly higher ego-psychopathology scores at admission. Some of the differences held true over a 2-week period.

The findings from the present study suggest that cenesthesias and body image aberration might represent an additional dimension of psychopathology that might be used for defining a nosological subtype of schizophrenia.