The dimensional structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders: an Exploratory Graph Analysis from the OPTiMiSE trial

Autor: Francesco Dal Santo, María Paz García-Portilla, Emilio Fernández-Egea, Leticia González-Blanco, Pilar A. Sáiz, Giulia Maria Giordano, Silvana Galderisi, Julio Bobes
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Schizophrenia, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2754-6993
DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00499-5
Popis: Abstract The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is the most widely used rating scale to assess psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and other primary psychoses. However, a definitive consensus regarding its dimensional structure remains elusive. The present work aims to determine the number of dimensions of the scale through a network analysis approach in a sample of individuals experiencing first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FE-SSD) with minimal or no prior exposure to antipsychotic treatment. Baseline data of 446 participants (age 25.96 ± 5.99 years, 70% males) enrolled in the OPTiMiSE trial were analysed. Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) was conducted to evaluate the dimensionality of the PANSS, and a bootstrap approach (bootEGA) was employed to assess model stability. The analysis was replicated, excluding unstable items with stability values below 0.75, until a stable model was achieved. The analysis of the 30 items of the PANSS revealed inadequate structural consistency, resulting in the exclusion of 9 unstable items. The final model comprised 21 symptoms distributed across four communities (Positive, Cognitive/Disorganised, Excited/Aggressive and Negative) but lacked a depressive domain. In conclusion, we propose a concise version of the PANSS, incorporating 21 items, to better assess the core symptoms of the first episode of SSD. This revised version provides clinicians with a robust psychometric tool with reduced administration time, but the complementary administration of a dedicated instrument for evaluating affective symptoms is advisable.
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