Negative Symptom Trajectories in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: Differences Based on Deficit...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Negative symptom trajectory in clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis is not well-defined.
• Understanding longitudinal patterns and moderators of negative symptom change is essential.
• Clinical subgroups may exhibit distinct negative symptom courses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize longitudinal patterns of negative symptom change in CHR individuals.
• To identify moderators of negative symptom change.
• To examine differences in negative symptom trajectories across clinical subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Growth curve models (linear, curvilinear, stepwise) were used.
• Data from the NAPLS-3 CHR dataset (N=699) were analyzed.
• Models were fitted with and without moderators within clinical subgroups.

Main Results:

• Negative symptoms showed a downward curvilinear trend, improving significantly from 0-6 months and stabilizing thereafter.
• Lower IQ and functioning were associated with slower symptom stabilization.
• Clinical subgroups displayed higher baseline ratings but varied courses; deficit syndrome (DS) showed more rapid initial improvement, while transition groups had slower improvement and greater stability.

Conclusions:

• The first six months of CHR program enrollment represent a critical window for negative symptom improvement.
• Continuous monitoring of negative symptoms is warranted.
• Early identification of clinical subgroups can inform personalized treatment strategies for distinct negative symptom trajectories.