title: Factor structure of the BPRS in deaf people with schizophrenia: correlates to language and thought.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been a relative lack of research on deaf people with schizophrenia, and no data exist regarding symptom structure in this population. Thus, we determined the factor structure of the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in deaf (n = 34) and hearing (n = 31) people with schizophrenia and compared it to a standard four-factor solution.
  
  
  METHODS
  An obliquely rotated factor analysis produced a solution for the BPRS that resembled others in the literature. Symptom clusters were additionally compared to cognitive and social-cognitive abilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Activity and disorganised symptoms were the most consistent correlates of visual- and thought and language-related skills for deaf and hearing subjects respectively. Affective symptoms and facial affect processing were positively correlated among deaf but not hearing subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that current symptom models of schizophrenia are valid in both hearing and deaf patients. However, relations between symptoms, cognition, and outcome from the general (hearing) literature cannot be generalised to deaf patients. Findings are broadly consistent with pathophysiologic models of schizophrenia suggesting a fundamental cortical processing algorithm operating across several domains of neural activity including vision, and thought and language. Support is provided for recent advances in social-cognitive interventions for people with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, New York, NY 12222, USA. hhort@albany.edu
authors.forename: Heather K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silverstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003638:Deafness / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012813:Sign Language; D012919:Social Behavior; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult