Negative parkinsonian, depressive and catatonic symptoms in schizophrenia: a conflict of paradigms revisited.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: To study the interrelationship pattern of negative, depressive, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms over an exacerbation phase of schizophrenia. METHOD: Forty-five inpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were assessed at admission and discharge for negative, depressive, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms. A subsample of patients unmedicated at admission (n=23) was specifically analyzed. RESULTS: Negative, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms correlated significantly at both assessment points, as did their mean changes over the episode. At admission, depressive symptoms did not correlate with negative, parkinsonian or catatonic symptoms, but they did at discharge. Changes of depressive symptoms over the episode did not correlate with changes of the other groups of symptoms. In the patients who were unmedicated at admission, ratings of nonakinetic parkinsonism, unlike ratings of akinetic parkinsonism, worsened significantly after neuroleptic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: While negative, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms are highly related features, depressive symptoms seem to be a relatively independent dimension of psychopathology in schizophrenia. Non-akinetic parkinsonian symptoms may be more useful than the akinetic symptoms in distinguishing primary from drug-induced negative symptoms.

Author information

Author/s: Peralta, V (V); Cuesta, M J (MJ);

Affiliation: Psychiatric Unit, Virgen del Camino Hospital, Pamplona, Spain. victor.peralta.martin(-atsign-)cfnavarra

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Schizophrenia research (Schizophr Res), published in NETHERLANDS. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1999-Dec; vol 40 (issue 3) : pp 245-53

Dates: Created 2000/02/18; Completed 2000/02/18; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 10638863, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

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