title: Abnormal diurnal weight gain among long-term patients with schizophrenic disorders.
abstract: We found diurnal weight gain to be abnormal among 65 long-term patients with schizophrenic disorders. Patients were weighed at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. serially and diurnal weight gain was normalized (NDWG) as a percentage by subtracting the 7 a.m. weight from the 4 p.m. weight, multiplying the difference by 100, and then dividing the result by the 7 a.m. weight. NDWG was 2.2 +/- 1.5% for 47 male patients compared (P = 0.001) with 0.6 +/- 0.4% for 11 male controls. NDWG was 1.7 +/- 0.7% for 18 female patients compared (P less than 0.0001) with 0.5 +/- 0.3% for 14 female controls. We hypothesize that NDWG may be an index of both the severity and duration of the schizophrenic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Western State Hospital, Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Staunton, VA 24401.
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Vieweg
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Godleski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kellogg
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Bayliss
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hundley
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Yank
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*