The Distinction of Positive and Negative Symptoms

1991 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Arndt ◽  
Randall J. Alliger ◽  
Nancy C. Andreasen
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Pooled Sample ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

The distinction of positive and negative symptoms in describing schizophrenic patients has become popular. It presupposes that symptoms cluster in two dimensions, fitting together not only theoretically but empirically. Factor analysis of three published studies of 93, 62 and 52 schizophrenic patients and a large pooled sample showed that more than two distinct dimensions are required to categorise symptoms in schizophrenia. This result is consistent across methods and samples, and with previous literature. The added dimensionality resulted from a splitting of the positive symptom domain into more distinct factors.

Negative Symptoms at Discharge and Outcome in Schizophrenia

1995 ◽  
Vol 166 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Gwo Hwu ◽  
Happy Tan ◽  
Chu-Chang Chen ◽  
Ling-Ling Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Outcome ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Symptom Score ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Positive Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Scores ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

BackgroundThe clinical significance in schizophrenia of positive and negative symptoms at discharge was assessed.MethodOf schizophrenic patients fulfilling DSM–III criteria, 113 were recruited for this study. Personal, social and psychopathological data were collected and all cases were followed up at one and two years after discharge.ResultsThe presence of positive symptoms (64 cases), without concomitant negative symptoms, did not predict the follow-up social function and positive symptom score. Conversely, the presence of negative symptoms (31 cases) predicted worse social functioning (P < 0.05 to P < 0.005) and higher positive symptom scores (P < 0.01) at follow-up using MANOVA. Eighteen cases (15.9%) had neither positive nor negative symptoms and had the best clinical outcome.ConclusionsNegative, but not positive, symptoms assessed at discharge are an important predictor of poor outcome. In addition, negative symptoms may themselves expose a biological vulnerability to the presence of positive symptoms.

Positive and Negative Symptoms in Psychiatry

1986 ◽  
Vol 148 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Trimble
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Thought Disorder ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Positive Symptoms ◽  
Market Research Company ◽  
Research Company ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

The terms positive and negative symptoms have slipped into the language of contemporary psychiatry with comparative ease. It is not uncommon for these expressions to be used with little explanation, both at meeting and in written communications, with the implicit understanding that their meaning is understood and that somehow they are of value to our knowledge of psychopathology. However, that there are no clear guide-lines at present for our use of these terms is shown from a recent survey of psychiatrists' opinions from a market research company (Martin Hamblin Research-Personal Communication). As part of a series of questions asked to many psychiatrists of differing age, geographical location, and status, they were asked about the meaning of these terms, positive and negative symptoms and the proportion of schizophrenic patients having them. Of the categories quoted by Crow (1980–81) as positive symptoms, 68% considered that delusions were positive symptoms, 63% hallucinations, and only 35% thought disorder. In contrast, 18% thought that behaviour disturbance was a positive symptom, a similar figure (15%) being given for passivity feelings. Considerable variation was noted, however, with hallucinations being considered positive by only 33% of London psychiatrists, thought disorder by only 11% of those qualified 16–25 years, and one-quarter of all registrars and psychiatrists from Midland Health Districts considered passivity feelings to fall into this category. Even greater disagreement was recorded for negative symptoms. Thus, the symptom most often associated with this category was apathy, by 52% of respondents. Only 26% considered that withdrawal was a negative symptom, the percentage data for lack of motivation and blunting of affect being 37% and 15% respectively.

Positive, Negative, and Disorganisation Factors from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia and the Present State Examination

1993 ◽  
Vol 163 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Thompson ◽  
Herbert Y. Meltzer
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Present State ◽  
Affective Disorders ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Factorial Structure ◽  
Factor Solution ◽  
State Examination ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms ◽  
Three Factor

The use of items from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia and from the Present State Examination scales for assessing positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia was examined using factor analysis. The factorial structure of the items which putatively assess positive and negative symptoms was examined. A three-factor solution was obtained with factors identified as: a negative symptom factor (factor 1); a positive symptom factor (factor 2); a ‘disorganisation’ factor (factor 3), consisting primarily of items related to disordered thinking. A solution which was highly similar in important loadings was obtained with an independent sample of patients. High correlations of the rotated factors with the external criteria supported the interpretations of the factors. The results indicate that symptoms generally classified as negative or positive are factorially independent. Furthermore, a disorganisation factor, consisting of items previously included in positive and negative symptoms factors, is necessary for a full representation of the factor structure.

Three Syndromes in Chronic Schizophrenia

1989 ◽  
Vol 155 (S7) ◽  
pp. 119-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.F. Liddle ◽  
Thomas R.E. Barnes ◽  
D. Morris ◽  
S. Haque
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenia ◽  
Brain Abnormalities ◽  
Brain Abnormality ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

In recent years, exploration of the distinction between positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia has provided a fruitful basis for attempts to relate the clinical features of schizophrenia to the accumulating evidence of brain abnormalities in schizophrenic patients. By 1982, there was an extensive body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that negative schizophrenic symptoms, such as poverty of speech and flatness of affect, were associated with substantial brain abnormalities, such as increased ventricular to brain ratio, and extensive cognitive impairment (Crow, 1980; Andreasen & Olsen, 1982). However, at that stage there were several fundamental unanswered questions about the nature of negative symptoms, and their relationship to indices of brain abnormality. This paper presents some findings of a series of studies initiated in 1982 to seek answers to some of these questions.

scholarly journals Pattern of Attentional Task Impairment in Schizophrenic Patients: A Study Report

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Shailja Singh ◽  
Tapas Kumar Aich ◽  
Sanjeev Ranjan ◽  
Abhinav Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Clinical Psychologist ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Attentional Deficits ◽  
Syndrome Scale ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Attentional Tasks

The present study attempted to find out the relationship between positive and negative clinical symptoms and  various attentional task impairment in a group of schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Fifty schizophrenic patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale  (PANSS) by a trained psychiatrist (TKA) who was blind to attentional test measures and two groups, each of 25  positive symptom and 25 negative symptom schizophrenic patients, were formed. On these 50 patients with  schizophrenia and 15 normal control groups, various attentional test measures were applied by a clinical  psychologist (SS) who remained blind to the PANSS score. RESULTS: It was found that schizophrenic patients were deficient in performing simple auditory and visual  attentional tasks in comparison to normal subjects. The results of this study are inconsistent with the assumption  that deficits in attention are uniquely associated with negative symptoms. The findings clearly support the  hypothesis of a relationship between type of attentional processing and “dimensions” of schizophrenic  symptomatology. The positive symptoms patients seem to be associated with attentional dysfunction especially  selective attention and short term recall, whereas negative symptoms patients seem to be associated with different  types of attentional deficits, e.g., sustained attention and visual attention. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study are consistent with the existing literature that schizophrenic patients  in general perform poorly on various measures of attentional tasks. Positive and negative symptoms  schizophrenics have some correlation with distinct attentional deficits.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jucms.v1i2.8402 Journal of Universal College of Medical Sciences Vol.1(2) 2013: 1-7

Dissociative Symptoms in Schizophrenic Patients with Positive and Negative Symptoms

1997 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Spitzer ◽  
Hans-Joachim Haug ◽  
Harald J. Freyberger
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Dissociative Symptoms ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

The Effect of Humor Intervention Program on Positive and Negative Symptoms among Schizophrenic Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 2022-2028
Author(s):  
Eman Asran Mohamed ◽  
Enayat Abd El Wahab Khalil ◽  
Zeinab Abd El Halim Osman ◽  
Mona Rakhawy ◽  
Naglaa Mostafa G
Keyword(s):  
Intervention Program ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
And Control ◽  
Positive And Negative Symptoms

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic disease characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behavior. Humor could be used as an alternative to conventional treatment with the goal of helping patients with schizophrenia cope with symptoms, enhance recovery through its emotional, cognitive, social and physiological effects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of humor intervention program on positive and negative symptoms among schizophrenic patients. Design: Randomized control trial (RCT) design was used. Sample: Purposive sample consisted of 40) schizophrenic patients, the study group (n= 20) and control group (n= 20). The patients were selected and allocated randomly into two groups, intervention group (received the humor interventions program) and control group (received traditional care). The study conducted in the Psychiatry and Addiction Prevention "El Kasr AlAini University Hospital and al Rakhawy Hospital for Mental Health. Tools: three tools were used for data collection were; the Socio Demographic Data Sheet, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS). Results: revealed that, there was a statistical significant difference between total score of PANSS between study and control groups post intervention. Conclusion: The present study emphasizes the importance of humor intervention program in reducing severity of symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. Key words: schizophrenia, humor intervention, positive symptoms, negative symptoms

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