Dataset Information

Persistent negative symptoms in youth at clinical high risk for psychosis: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Severity of negative symptoms has been associated with poor functioning, cognitive deficits, and defeatist beliefs in schizophrenia patients. However, one area that remains understudied is persistent negative symptoms (PNS). Negative symptoms, including PNS, have been observed in those at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis. The aim of this study was to determine if PNS were associated with functioning, neurocognition, and defeatist beliefs in a CHR sample.

Method

CHR participants (n = 764) were recruited for the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Negative symptoms were rated on the Scale of Psychosis-risk Symptoms. Generalized linear mixed models for repeated measures were used to examine changes over time between and within groups (PNS vs non-PNS).

Results

The PNS group (n = 67) had significant deficits in functioning at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24-months compared to the non-PNS group (n = 673). Functioning improved over time in the non-PNS group, while functioning in the PNS group remained relatively stable and poor over a two-year period. A consistent trend emerged demonstrating higher defeatist beliefs in the PNS group; however, this result was lost when controlling for persistent depressive symptoms. There were no significant differences between the groups on neurocognition, social cognition, and transition to psychosis.

Conclusions

PNS exist in youth at CHR for psychosis, resulting in significant and persistent functional impairment, which remains when controlling for persistent depressive symptoms. PNS remain even in CHR youth who do not transition to psychosis. Thus, PNS may represent an unmet therapeutic need in CHR populations for which there are currently no effective treatments.

SUBMITTER: Devoe DJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7606256 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundLittle is known about clinical outcomes other than transition to psychosis in people at Clinical High-Risk for psychosis (CHR-P). Our aim was to comprehensively meta-analytically evaluate for the first time a wide range of clinical and functional outcomes beyond transition to psychosis in CHR-P individuals.MethodsPubMed and Web of Science were searched until November 2020 in this PRISMA compliant meta-analysis (PROSPERO:CRD42020206271). Individual longitudinal studies conducted in individuals at CHR-P providing data on at least one of our outcomes of interest were included. We carried out random-effects pairwise meta-analyses, meta-regressions, and assessed publication bias and study quality. Analyses were two-tailed with α=0.05.Findings75 prospective studies were included (n=5,288, age=20.0 years, females=44.5%). Attenuated positive symptoms improved at 12 (Hedges' g=0.753, 95%CI=0.495-1.012) and 24 (Hedges' g=0.836, 95%CI=0.463-1.209), but not ≥36 months (Hedges' g=0.315. 95%CI=-0.176-0.806). Negative symptoms improved at 12 (Hedges' g=0.496, 95%CI=0.315-0.678), but not 24 (Hedges' g=0.499, 95%CI=-0.137-1.134) or ≥36 months (Hedges' g=0.033, 95%CI=-0.439-0.505). Depressive symptoms improved at 12 (Hedges' g=0.611, 95%CI=0.441-0.782) and 24 (Hedges' g=0.583, 95%CI=0.364-0.803), but not ≥36 months (Hedges' g=0.512 95%CI=-0.337-1.361). Functioning improved at 12 (Hedges' g=0.711, 95%CI=0.488-0.934), 24 (Hedges' g=0.930, 95%CI=0.553-1.306) and ≥36 months (Hedges' g=0.392, 95%CI=0.117-0.667). Remission from CHR-P status occurred in 33.4% (95%CI=22.6-44.1%) at 12 months, 41.4% (95%CI=32.3-50.5%) at 24 months and 42.4% (95%CI=23.4-61.3%) at ≥36 months. Heterogeneity across the included studies was significant and ranged from I2=53.6% to I2=96.9%. The quality of the included studies (mean±SD) was 4.6±1.1 (range=2-8).InterpretationCHR-P individuals improve on symptomatic and functional outcomes over time, but these improvements are not maintained in the longer term, and less than half fully remit. Prolonged duration of care may be needed for this patient population to optimize outcomes.FundingNone.