2 results
The Brief Negative Symptom Scale: external validation of symptom domains with clinical, cognitive and functioning-related variables in subjects with schizophrenia
- G. M. Giordano, A. Mucci, P. Rucci, F. Sanmarchi, E. Caporusso, L. Giuliani, A. Perrottelli, P. Pezzella, P. Bucci, P. Rocca, A. Rossi, A. Bertolino, S. Galderisi, M. Maj
-
- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S264-S265
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Open access
- Export citation
-
Introduction
Negative symptoms (NS) represent a heterogeneous construct of schizophrenia, whose conceptualization is still to be clarified. In the last decade, the conceptualization model that has received the most support from the literature has described 2 NS domains: the expressive deficit (EXP), which includes blunted affect and alogia, and the motivational deficit (MAP), which includes avolition, asociality, and anhedonia. However, different confirmatory factor-analytic studies suggest that the bi-dimensional model may not capture the complexity of this construct, which could be better defined by a 5-factor model (5 individual negative symptoms) or a hierarchical model (5 individual negative symptoms as first-order factors, and the 2 domains, MAP and EXP domains, as second-order factors). However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated associations between negative symptom models with social cognition and functional capacity, which are largely documented to correlate with negative symptoms, nor the associations with external validators over time, looking at the potential stability of negative symptom models validity through the course of the illness.
ObjectivesIn the light of this observations, we investigated, the external validity of the five-factor model and the hierarchical model of the BNSS in subjects with schizophrenia, looking at associations with cognition, social cognition, functioning and functional capacity at baseline and at four years follow-up.
MethodsNS were assessed in 612 subjects with schizophrenia using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale at the baseline and after 4-year follow-up. State of the art assessment instruments were used to assess cognitive and functioning related variables. Structural equation models (SEM) that included the NS models and 4 external variables were used to our aim.
ResultsAccording to recent multicenter studies, our results confirmed the validity of the 5-factor- and the hierarchical-model of negative symptoms. In particular, these 2 models proved to be equivalent in terms of fit to the data at baseline and follow-up. As regard to the relationship of the two BNSS models with external variables, we found that there was a similar pattern of associations at the two time points despite minor variations.
ConclusionsThe five factor and the hierarchical models provide an optimal conceptualization of negative symptoms in relation to external variables. The similar pattern of associations with external variables of the two models at the two time points despite minor variations, suggests that the simple and widely used 5-factor solution provides the best balance between parsimony and granularity to summarize BNSS structure. This data is of important relevance with consequent implications in the study of pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of targeted treatments for NS.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
The structure stability of negative symptoms: longitudinal network analysis of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale in subjects with schizophrenia
- E. Caporusso, G. M. Giordano, A. Mucci, P. Rucci, F. Sanmarchi, L. Giuliani, A. Perrottelli, P. Pezzella, P. Bucci, P. Rocca, A. Rossi, A. Bertolino, S. Galderisi, M. Maj
-
- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S259-S260
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Open access
- Export citation
-
Introduction
Negative symptoms (NS) represent an unmet need of treatment in schizophrenia (SCZ). As a result, these symptoms pose a significant burden on patients, their families, and the health care system. In the last decade, the conceptualization model that has received the most support from the literature has described 2 domains of NS: the expressive deficit (EXP), which includes blunted affect and alogia, and the motivational deficit (MAP), which includes avolition, asociality, and anhedonia. However, different confirmatory factor-analytic studies suggest that the bi-dimensional model may not capture the complexity of this construct, which could be better defined by the 5-factor model. To date no study exploiting innovative tools and state of the art assessment instruments has yet been conducted to evaluate the NS structure stability over time.
ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the stability of the latent structure of NS in subjects with SCZ.
MethodsNS were assessed in 612 subjects with SCZ using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) at the baseline and after 4-year follow-up. A network invariance analysis was conducted for the data collected longitudinally.
ResultsResults showed that the BNSS’ items aggregated to form 5 distinct domains (avolition, asociality, blunted affect, alogia and anhedonia). The result of the network invariance test indicated that the network structure remained unchanged over time (network invariance test = 0.13; p = 0.169) while its overall strength decreased significantly (6.28 baseline, 5.79 at follow-up; global strength invariance test = 0.48; p = 0.016).
ConclusionsThe results of this study show how the construct of NS can be better explained by the 5 individual negative symptoms and that this model is almost stable over time. Therefore the 2-dimensional model may be insufficient to describe the characteristics of NS. This data is of important relevance with consequent implications in the study of pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of targeted treatments for NS.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared