![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Introduction: Psychosis is a multifaceted clinical phenomenon in which the various symptoms may show a differential response to treatment. Important information may be lost when heterogeneous symptoms are grouped together in global sum scores when studying treatment effects.
Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the level and rate of change in the two separate symptoms hallucinations and delusions during the acute psychotic phase, and to explore whether potential temporal differences depend on diagnosis or patients being previously medicated with antipsychotics or not.
Method: Patients admitted with active symptoms of schizophrenia or related psychotic disorders were included in the Bergen Psychosis Project (BPP) (N = 226), a prospective, pragmatic, study of four second-generation antipsychotics. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were assessed at baseline, one, three and six months.
Results: Over the total follow-up period, latent growth curve models showed greater reductions in delusions than in hallucinations. However, the percentage of the total reduction was found to be larger in hallucinations than that of delusions in the first interval (91% vs. 64%). The levels and changes in these variables were dependent on diagnosis and whether or not patients had a life-time history of antipsychotic use.
Conclusion: Focusing on separate symptoms rather than general symptom clusters could offer clinicians a useful approach when evaluating the early response of antipsychotics.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT00932529; URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/
Acknowledgements
The authors thank research nurses Marianne Langeland and Ingvild Helle for their contributions on data collection. The authors thank Information Specialist Hilde Strømme for her contribution on the literature search. The authors thank the Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital for financial support, and the clinical departments for their enthusiasm and cooperation.
Author contributions
JK and IS drafted the manuscript. EJ collected the data and helped draft the manuscript. RK helped draft the manuscript and participated in the data collection. RG helped draft the manuscript, provided statistical analyses and made substantial contributions to the analysis and interpretation of the data. EML participated in designing the study and helped draft the manuscript. HAJ participated in designing the study, helped draft the manuscript and participated in data collection. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Jill Bjarke
Jill Bjarke Mental Health Nurse, M.Sc. AoE: Clinical psychiatry.
Igne Sinkeviciute
Igne Sinkeviciute MD, PhD student, Psychiatrist AoE: Clinical psychiatry and pharmacology.
Rune Andreas Kroken
Rune Andreas Kroken MD, PhD, Psychiatrist, ass. Professor. AoE: Clinical psychiatry and pharmacology.
Else-Marie Løberg
Else-Marie Løberg PhD, Specialist in Clinical Psychology, Professor. AoE: Neurocognition, clinical psychology, illicit drug abuse research.
Hugo Arild Jørgensen
Hugo Arild Jørgensen MD, PhD, Psychiatrist, Professor Emeritus. AoE: Clinical psychiatry and pharmacology, basic- and clinical research.
Erik Johnsen
Erik Johnsen MD, PhD, Psychiatrist, Professor. AoE: Clinical psychiatry and pharmacology, clinical trial conductance.
Rolf Gjestad
Rolf Gjestad Psychologist, PhD, advisor in statistical analysis. AoE: Clinical psychology and statistical analysis.