Latent state-trait structure of BPRS subscales in clinical high-risk state and first episode psychosis

Abstract

To investigate the longitudinal latent state-trait structure of the different dimensions of psychosis symptoms in clinical high-risk state (CHRS) and first episode psychosis (FEP) individuals over a one year time-span. This paper examines if the symptom clusters Positive Symptoms, Negative Symptoms, Affectivity, Resistance, Activation, and Excitement according to the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) differ in their trait and state characters in 196 CHRS and 131 FEP individuals. Statistical analysis was performed using latent state-trait analysis. On average, trait differences accounted for 72.2% of Positive Symptoms, 81.1% of Negative Symptoms, 57.0% of Affectivity, and 69.2% of Activation, whereas 15.0% of the variance of Resistance and 13.2% of the variance of Excitement were explained by trait differences. Explorative analyses showed a trait components’ increase of 0.408 in Positive Symptoms from baseline up to the 9th month and an increase of 0.521 in Affectivity from baseline up to the 6th month. Negative Symptoms had the highest trait component levels of all subscales between baseline and 6 months. The finding that an increasing proportion of psychosis symptoms is persisting over time underlines the importance of early intervention programs in individuals with psychotic disorders.

Analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in antipsychotic-free individuals with at-risk mental state and patients with first-episode schizophrenia

“…Increased levels of OA were also associated with the severity of cognitive deficits in the FES group (rho = −0.60), although this did not survive multiple comparison corrections. Since NA is abundant in brain white matter and plays a crucial role in myelin maturation and integrity ( 17 ), our results may be partly in line with neuroimaging evidence that abnormalities in brain connectivity contribute to trait characteristics of psychosis, such as negative symptomatology ( 61 ) and cognitive deficits ( 62 ) in ARMS ( 63 ) and schizophrenia ( 64 ). Previous studies on FAs in ARMS and FES have also demonstrated an increased NA level ( 18 , 20 ) and its relationship with symptom severity ( 18 , 28 , 31 ).…”

Relationships between erythrocyte membrane mono- and poly- unsaturated fatty acid composition and clinical/cognitive indices in antipsychotic-free schizophrenia patients

“…NA is an essential molecule for the growth and maintenance of integrity in the white matter and peripheral nervous tissue enriched by sphingomyelin ( 63 ) and is suggested to be related to psychiatric disorders ( 64 ). Our results may be partly in line with the neuroimaging evidence that abnormalities in brain connectivity contribute to the trait characteristics of schizophrenia ( 65 ), such as negative symptomatology ( 66 ) and cognitive deficits ( 67 ). Because the impaired integrity of white matter is also reported in depression ( 68 – 70 ), it may be possible that NA abnormalities commonly contribute to the pathophysiology of both schizophrenia and depression.…”