Electrodermal predictors of functional outcome and negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Abstract

The ability of electrodermal variables to predict negative symptoms and functional outcome over a 1-year period in schizophrenia was investigated in 78 young, recent-onset outpatients. Patients were stabilized on standardized medication and largely free of psychotic symptoms. Higher levels of both tonic (skin conductance level, nonspecific skin conductance response rate) and phasic (number of skin conductance orienting responses) activity were associated with more negative symptoms and with a combination of poorer social and occupational outcome at 1-year follow-up. This pattern was seen in both male and female patients, and in older and younger patients. Results are interpreted as suggesting that high levels of arousal and overreactivity to the environment may interfere with efficient cognitive processing in schizophrenia, contributing to poor outcome, and that negative symptoms might partially serve as a means of coping with overarousal.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices and its relationship to skin conductance in patients with schizophrenia

“…Age and duration of illness may also account for the discrepancies between the studies (4). For instance, the electrodermal nonresponsiveness, negative symptoms, poor functional outcome, and cognitive deficits are all more often seen in older patients with longer duration of illness (3).…”

“…. Electrodermal activity alterations are among the most cited abnormalities in the psychophysiological study of schizophrenia and have also been postulated to be predictors of functional outcome (3). The main findings that have been identified in schizophrenia in this field are low skin conductance responses to auditory stimulation (SCR) and abnormalities in the skin conductance level (SCL).…”

Chaos in schizophrenia associations, reality or metaphor?

“…A sensitive measure of specific pathophysiological changes during pathogenesis of schizophrenia is electrodermal activity (EDA) (Dawson and Schell, 2002;Williams et al, 2002;Schell et al, 2005;Zahn and Pickar, 2005;Bob et al, 2007;Crippa et al, 2007). Reported findings indicate that EDA may help to predict treatment outcome, and specific electrodermal dysfunctions may provide prognostic information on subsequent symptoms, as well as social and occupational outcome even in medicated patients (Dawson and Schell, 2002;Williams et al, 2002;Schell et al, 2005;Zahn and Pickar, 2005).…”

A Wearable Sensor for Unobtrusive, Long-Term Assessment of Electrodermal Activity

“…Clinically, wearable EDA sensors can be used in psychopathology, dermatology, and neurology for diagnostic purposes and therapy evaluation. Potential clinical applications include screening for cystic fibrosis [14], classification of depressive illnesses [15], prediction of functional outcome in schizophrenia [16], discrimination between healthy and psychotic patients [17], characterization of sympathetic arousal in autism [18], early diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy [19] and providing biofeedback in treating chronic hyperhidrosis [20], epileptic [21], and psychogenic nonepileptic [22] seizures.…”