Presence of at least two out of the following six negative symptoms in patients meeting criteria for schizophrenia: 1.
For each construct, symptoms due to identifiable factors, such as medication effects, psychotic symptoms or depression, should be distinguished from those regarded as core symptoms of the disease.Ĭonsidered a core symptom of schizophrenia which persist during clinical stability Ī consequence of positive symptoms, neurological side effects, depressive symptoms, or environmental factors
SIGNS OF PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA HOW TO
Recently, a consensus has been reached on how to describe negative symptoms :įive constructs (the 5 “A”) were identified as negative symptoms namely affect (blunted), alogia, anhedonia, asociality, and avolition and were clustered into two factors: one including blunted affect and alogia and the other consisting of anhedonia, avolition, and asociality ( Table 1). These symptoms may occur with or without positive symptoms and can, at times, be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder. They are associated with disruptions and/or lack of normal emotions and behavior.
Negative symptoms are a key element of schizophrenia including symptoms such as blunt affect, lack of motivation, asociality, and impoverished speech. With very recent development approaches and the new potential treatments on the horizon, discussions on how to define, distinguish, and treat negative symptoms are increasing day by day. Since no real treatment was available for negative symptoms, little focus has been laid on this particular field of the disease so far.
These drugs are efficiently improving the positive symptoms of schizophrenia but have slight or no effect on the negative and cognitive symptoms. For the treatment of schizophrenia symptoms, several antipsychotics were discovered, developed, and registered from the 1950s. While positive symptoms are easy to recognize, negative symptoms are often more difficult to distinguish, as they can be mistaken for depressive symptoms. It is well known and established in the scientific community that schizophrenia symptoms can be categorized as positive, negative, and cognitive. Cariprazine is the only antipsychotic that has proven superiority over another antipsychotic (risperidone) in one clinical study. Publications have shown that no antipsychotic has a beneficial effect when compared to another.
Negative symptoms are not adequately treated by available antipsychotic therapies. Additionally, they are associated with high costs for society and a substantial burden for caregivers. Negative symptoms have a substantial impact on the day-to-day functioning of patients with schizophrenia and contribute more to impaired quality of life and poor functioning than positive symptoms do. However, treating physicians are not necessarily aware about recent constructs of negative symptoms, their presence at prodromal stage, and the distinction among primary, secondary, persistent, prominent, or predominant negative symptoms. Schizophrenia consists of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. The aim of the chapter is to raise awareness about recent constructs of negative symptoms, their burden on patients, caregivers and society, and about their management.
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