title: PANSS-6: a brief rating scale for the measurement of severity in schizophrenia.
abstract: The 30-item Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-30) is the most widely used rating scale in schizophrenia, but too long for clinical use. Shorter PANSS versions have been proposed, including the PANSS-14 and PANSS-8. However, none of these PANSS versions has been validated using the parametric Rasch rating scale model, which evaluates 'scalability'. Scalability means that each item in a rating scale provides unique information regarding syndrome severity and is a statistical prerequisite for using the total score as a measure of overall severity.
  
  
  
  Based on data from two randomized placebo-controlled trials in schizophrenia, we tested the scalability of PANSS-30, PANSS-14 and PANSS-8 by means of the parametric Rasch rating scale model. Furthermore, we tested whether a scalable PANSS version could separate efficacy of haloperidol and sertindole from placebo.
  
  
  
  Neither PANSS-30, PANSS-14 nor PANSS-8 was scalable. However, PANSS-6, consisting of the items: P1-Delusions, P2-Conceptual disorganization, P3-Hallucinations, N1-Blunted Affect, N4-Social withdrawal, N6-Lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation, was scalable. Furthermore, PANSS-6 captured superior symptom reduction and higher remission rates during treatment with haloperidol and sertindole vs. placebo.
  
  
  
  PANSS-6 is a short schizophrenia severity rating scale that adequately separates antipsychotic efficacy from that of placebo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.|Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Østergaard
authors.affiliation: H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Lemming
authors.affiliation: Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mors
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hofstra North Shore - LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: C U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Correll
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Centre North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
keywords: Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; antipsychotic agents; psychopathology; schizophrenia