[Identification of subgroups of schizophrenic patients by a typological analysis]

The existence of two subtypes of schizophrenia (positive and negative) is well established. The evidence in favour of other subtypes, in particular a disorganized subtype, is still the subject of some debate. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of further subtypes of schizophrenia by applying a Ward's method of cluster analysis with the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores in 138 schizophrenic patients. The results from the cluster analysis suggested the existence of at least four sub-types of schizophrenia, positive, negative, mixed and disorganized. Evidence for the validity of these subtypes was provided by the observed differences between the clusters on a number of clinical characteristics. Thus, the negative-positive dichotomy in schizophrenia is an oversimplification, and the existence of a more complex structure needs to be taken into account in future research.