The negative syndrome as a dimension : Factor analyses of PANSS in major depressive disorder and organic brain disease compared with negative syndrome structures found in the schizophrenia literature

• Published in: Cognitive and behavioral neurology Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 113 - 120
• Main Authors: MILAK, Matthew S, ANISKIN, Dmitry B, EISENBERG, Daniel P, PRIKHOJAN, Alexander, COHEN, Lisa J, YARD, Samantha S, GALYNKER, Igor I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Willkins 01-06-2007
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affective Symptoms - classification; Affective Symptoms - complications; Affective Symptoms - diagnosis; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dementia - complications; Dementia - psychology; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - complications; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neurology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenic Psychology; Stroke - complications; Stroke - psychology; Syndrome; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Mood disorder; Human; Nervous system diseases; Stroke; Factor analysis; Schizophrenia; Cardiovascular disease; Depression; Senile dementia; Cerebral disorder; Psychosis; Vascular disease; negative syndrome; Negative symptom; Central nervous system disease; dementia; Degenerative disease; Cerebrovascular disease; Comparative study; Somatic disease
• ISSN: 1543-3633; 1543-3641
• DOI: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e3180653c35

To explore the concept of the negative syndrome as a dimensional entity that exists in multiple primary diagnoses, and to compare the negative syndrome in nonschizophrenic disorders and schizophrenia.
Although initially considered specific to schizophrenia, the negative syndrome has subsequently been described in major depression, stroke, and dementia.
We performed an exploratory factor analysis on Positive and Negative Symptom Scale scores of 82 subjects with major depressive disorder and 76 subjects with organic brain disease (dementia or stroke).
The examination of the resultant symptom clusters revealed that the structure of the negative syndrome in major depressive disorder and organic brain disease closely corresponded to that in schizophrenia literature.
The negative syndrome may be a nosologic entity, which remains fairly consistent across psychotic and nonpsychotic diagnostic categories. Confirmatory studies are merited to determine the degree and strength of the similarity in structure of the negative syndrome in psychotic, affective, and cognitive illness.