title: Clinico-Epidemiological Comparison of Delusion-Prominent and Hallucination-Prominent Clinical Subgroups of Paranoid Schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Though hallucinations and delusions are prominent basic impairments in schizophrenia, reports of the relationship between hallucinatory and delusional symptoms among schizophrenia patients are scant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the epidemiological and clinical differences between mainly hallucinatory and mainly delusional subgroups of paranoid schizophrenia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred schizophrenia patients, paranoid type, were recruited. In a cross-sectional study, participants were divided into Mainly Hallucinatory (H) and Mainly Delusional (D) subgroups. Demographic variables were compared and clinical characteristics were evaluated using the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. The Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 was used to assess quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinically, the H group was more heterogeneous as expressed by the broader range of scores that described the clinical picture of patients in that subgroup (in 43 of 78 variables, 55.13%) and similar ranges of scores (31 of 78 variables, 39.74%) for patients in the D group. Duration of hospitalization was significantly longer in group H than in group D (p=0.047). There was no statistically significant difference between the H and D subgroups in demographic characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are distinct epidemiological and clinical differences between the H and D subgroups, with more severe positive and negative symptoms and greater functional impairment in the H group. Paranoid schizophrenia patients with prominent hallucinations have poorer prognosis and need intensive therapeutic rehabilitation beginning with onset-of-illness. Further genetic studies and comparisons of fMRI and/or PET findings are warranted to investigate additional distinctive characteristics of these subgroups.
authors.forename: Anatoly
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreinin
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krishtul
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kirsh
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menuchin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003702:Delusions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Delusions; Hallucinations; Paranoia; Schizophrenia