A forced five-dimensional factor analysis and concurrent validity of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in Mexican schizophrenic patients.
The heterogeneity of schizophrenic symptomatology is well documented. The positive-negative distinction is limited to cover the entire spectrum of schizophrenic psychopathology in order to describe the various clinical aspects of the disorder.


METHODS
We recruited 150 schizophrenic patients between May 2002 and September 2003. Diagnoses were based on a structured clinical interview. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate general psychopathology and symptom severity. For the concurrent validity of the pentagonal model of the PANSS, the BPRS, the CDSS, the OAS and the MMSE were used.


RESULTS
The forced five-factor principal-component analysis explained 53.4% of the total variance. There were significant correlations between the clinical rating scales and the five components of the PANSS.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support a pentagonal model underlying the multidimensional schizophrenic symptomatology as assessed by the PANSS. The five-factor structure of the PANSS in Mexican schizophrenic patients enables further elucidation of the various clinical aspects of schizophrenia.
Fresán
A
A
Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101. Col. San Lorenzo, Huipulco., CP 14370 Mexico City, Mexico.
De la Fuente-Sandoval
C
C
Loyzaga
C
C
García-Anaya
M
M
Meyenberg
N
N
Nicolini
H
H
Apiquian
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index