Affective flattening and alogia associate with the familial form of schizophrenia.
Family history of schizophrenia has been associated with negative symptoms in the clinical picture. Our aim was to examine the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia in a genetically homogeneous isolate and a nationwide multiplex family sample, and to investigate the symptom dimensions and their association with the degree of familial loading for psychotic disorders and with consanguinity. For factor analysis of the Scales for the Assessment of Negative and Positive Symptoms, we included 290 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia: 63 multiplex family and 133 singleton patients from the isolate, and 94 nationwide multiplex family patients. The factor analysis yielded four factors. There was a significant difference between the multiplex and singleton patients, the former having more severe affective flattening and alogia. Further, the patients in isolate groups had fewer delusions and hallucinations compared with the whole country multiplex patients regardless of their familial loading for schizophrenia. This may be related to genetic homogeneity in the isolate. We conclude that patients with first-degree relatives with psychotic disorder have more severe negative symptoms.
Arajärvi
Ritva
R
National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, University of Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. ritva.arajarvi@ktl.fi
Varilo
Teppo
T
Haukka
Jari
J
Suvisaari
Jaana
J
Suokas
Jaana
J
Juvonen
Hannu
H
Muhonen
Maria
M
Suominen
Kirsi
K
Hintikka
Jukka
J
Schreck
Marjut
M
Tuulio-Henriksson
Annamari
A
Partonen
Timo
T
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001037:Aphasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D012042:Registries; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index