title: Psychopathological characteristics and treatment response of first episode compared with multiple episode schizophrenic disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to investigate the hypothesis that patients with first episode schizophrenic disorders have a more favorable treatment response than those with multiple episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 400 inpatients from an ongoing multi-centre, follow-up program who fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenic disorders (F2) were assessed at admission to and discharge from hospital using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At admission, first episode patients (n = 121) showed higher levels of positive symptoms (PANSS positive subscore) and lower ones of negative symptoms (PANSS negative subscore) than multiple episode patients (n = 279), whereas the global disease severity (PANSS total score) was comparable. Analyses of covariance revealed that treatment response (adjusted symptom levels at discharge) was more favorable in first-episode patients, with respect to both positive and negative symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are compatible with the hypothesis that treatment response becomes less favorable during the course of schizophrenic illness. This finding might be associated with progressive neurobiological alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Nussbaumstr 7, D-80336 Munich, Germany. markus.jaeger@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messer
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laux
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naber
authors.forename: Lutz G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaebel
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huff
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuser
authors.forename: Kai-Uwe
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.forename: Matthias R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lemke
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rüther
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buchkremer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gastpar
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bottlender
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Möller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011599:Psychopathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents