Abstract
Introduction: Approximately one third of schizophrenia patients show partial or no response to pharmacotherapy. Despite intensive investigations, the phenomenological and biological characteristics of such patients are far from elucidated. This study examined the premorbid behavioral and intellectual functioning of schizophrenia patients who showed poor response to antipsychotic treatment. Method: One hundred twenty-nine schizophrenia patients who showed poor response to treatment were ascertained from a national register and matched by gender, age and education to 129 patients who showed adequate response. The groups were compared on premorbid measures of behavioral and intellectual functions. Results: As a group, treatment-resistant male patients had significantly lower (worse) social functioning [p = 0.002], and individual autonomy [p < 0.0001] scores before the onset of the illness compared to treatment non-resistant patients. Male and female treatment-resistant patients did not differ from non-resistant patients in premorbid intellectual functioning [p > 0.1]. Conclusions: Low premorbid social functioning and individual autonomy, but not intellectual functioning, could serve as predictors of poor treatment response in schizophrenia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 45-49 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Schizophrenia Research |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 1-3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2007 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by grant R01 MH66105 from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Funding Information:
Funding for this study was provided by NIMH Grant R01 MH66105; the NIMH had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
