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The relationship of catatonia symptoms to symptoms of schizophrenia
Z Z Cernovsky1, J A Landmark, H Merskey
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London. zcernovs@julian.uwo.ca
Objective:
To evaluate the relationships of symptoms of catatonic schizophrenia to 77 symptoms relevant for diagnosing schizophrenia and to socioanamnestic variables.
Method:
Data from a sample of 112 Canadian patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) were evaluated via phi correlation coefficients.
Results:
Forty-five (40.2%) of our 112 patients had catatonic symptoms, either at the time of this study or in the past. However, only weak correlations (phi < 0.31) to other symptoms relevant for diagnosing schizophrenia were found, and no significant correlations to socioanamnestic variables were found.
Conclusion:
Symptoms of catatonia appear to be independent of the key symptoms of schizophrenia.