The interaction of electrodermal activity and expressed emotion in predicting symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia.
In the present study, expressed emotion (EE) was assessed among immediate family members of 94 recent-onset schizophrenia patients at initial study entry point, and patients' electrodermal activity (EDA) was measured without the presence of family members at a baseline outpatient stabilization assessment. Psychiatric symptoms were also rated, both at the baseline outpatient test and at 1-year follow-up. Electrodermal activity × expressed emotion interactions were observed at both test points. In each case, the highest levels of negative symptoms were observed among those who exhibited greater EDA and lived in a high-EE environment. These results support the view that the combination of high family EE and sympathetic nervous system arousal confer especially high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-8346, USA. KSubotnik@mednet.ucla.edu
Kenneth L
KL
Subotnik
Anne M
AM
Schell
Mark S
MS
Chilingar
Michael E
ME
Dawson
Joseph
J
Ventura
Kimberle A
KA
Kelly
Gerhard S
GS
Hellemann
Keith H
KH
Nuechterlein
D000328:Adult; D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult