Confirmatory factor analysis of the Neurological Evaluation Scale in unmedicated schizophrenia

Factor structure of the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was evaluated in 95 unmedicated patients with schizophrenia using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFA was used to test four competing models that were based on prior empirical work examining the factor structure of the NES, as well as on theoretical considerations. A three-factor solution composed of "repetitive motor," "cognitive-perceptual," and "balance-tandem" factors best accounted for the data. These findings are consistent with prior exploratory studies that have suggested the NES is a multidimensional procedure that assesses diverse neurological domains. The current results contribute to the development of empirical subscales for neurological assessment procedures to be used in psychiatric conditions.