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Phenomenology and functioning in first-episode schizophrenia
D L Shtasel1, R E Gur, F Gallacher
1University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Psychiatry, Philadelphia 19104.
Schizophrenia Bulletin
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Schizophrenia symptom profiles, including negative symptoms, are present at first episode, not just later. Early negative symptoms correlate with poorer functioning in schizophrenia patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Schizophrenia is often viewed as a deteriorating illness, especially regarding negative symptoms.
- Studying chronic patients complicates understanding initial symptom presentation due to treatment and institutionalization effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the initial symptom profile in first-episode (FE) schizophrenia patients.
- To determine the relationship between early symptom patterns and functioning in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Compared 37 first-episode schizophrenia patients with 70 other schizophrenia patients.
- Utilized standard clinical scales, premorbid functioning measures, and quality of life assessments.
Main Results:
- First-episode patients exhibited a symptom profile comparable to other schizophrenia patients.
- No significant difference in the severity of negative symptoms was observed between first-episode and other schizophrenia groups.
- Negative symptoms were associated with impaired premorbid and current functioning.
Conclusions:
- The characteristic symptom profile of schizophrenia is evident at the illness's onset.
- Negative symptoms are linked to poor functioning from the early stages of schizophrenia.
- The impact of positive symptoms on functioning may be more variable and subtype-dependent.