[Active and prodromal phase symptomatology of young-onset and late-onset paranoid schizophrenia]

Young and late onset patients with paranoid schizophrenia were compared, regarding the initial prodromal and active phases of the disorder, in order to examine the influence of age of onset on the prodromal and active phase symptomatology of the disease.

We examined 88 consecutively hospitalized patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Age cutoff points were set at <30 years of age for the young, and ≥35 years of age for the late onset group. Diagnoses were made prospectively, using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-Patient Edition for Axis I disorders (SCID-P). Type and severity of psychopathology in the active phase were assessed by applying the Structured Clinical Interview for Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Patients were retrospectively examined regarding their initial prodromal symptoms by applying the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Patient Edition and clinical interviewing for additional symptoms. Comparisons were performed by applying the two-tailed Wilcoxon rank-sum and the chi-square statistical tests.

The young onset group was characterized by significantly more negative prodromal symptoms, and heavier negative symptomatology in the active phase, than the late onset group. Differences were more prominently shown in male patients.

Older age of onset of paranoid schizophrenia appears to be related to a less severe form of the disease, characterized by less severity of negative symptomatology, already demonstrated in the prodromal phase of the disorder.