Biological predictors of 1-year outcome in schizophrenia in males and females.
This paper describes a prospective study designed to ascertain the predictive value of biological factors associated with schizophrenia in males and females. In a sample of 59 medication-free schizophrenic inpatients (41 males; 18 females), we assessed the correlation of four factors--rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency, delta (slow-wave) sleep, dexamethasone suppression test (DST) cortisol levels, and ventricle-brain ratio (VBR)--with several dimensions of outcome at 1-year post-discharge. In the total sample, shorter REM latency was associated with poor outcome on all dimensions measured: rehospitalization, employment, social activity, symptomatology, and global functioning. However, none of the other biological factors were associated with any measure of outcome. The predictive value of REM latency appeared to be gender-specific; in general, the relationships between reduced REM latency and poor outcome were consistently noted in females, but were not significant in males. These results suggest that a common, possibly gender-related, pathophysiological mechanism might underlie both abnormal REM latency and poor outcome. The findings underscore the importance of considering gender differences in studies of schizophrenia.
Goldman
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0116, USA. mgoldman@umich.edu
Tandon
R
R
DeQuardo
J R
JR
Taylor
S F
SF
Goodson
J
J
McGrath
M
M
D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology