A Network of Psychopathological, Cognitive, and Motor Symptoms in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Abstract

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) are complex syndromes involving psychopathological, cognitive, and also motor symptoms as core features. A better understanding of how these symptoms mutually impact each other could translate into diagnostic, prognostic, and, eventually, treatment advancements. The present study aimed to: (1) estimate a network model of psychopathological, cognitive, and motor symptoms in SSD; (2) detect communities and explore the connectivity and relative importance of variables within the network; and (3) explore differences in subsample networks according to remission status. A sample of 1007 patients from a multisite cohort study was included in the analysis. We estimated a network of 43 nodes, including all the items from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, a cognitive assessment battery and clinical ratings of extrapyramidal symptoms. Methodologies specific to network analysis were employed to address the study s aims. The estimated network for the total sample was densely interconnected and organized into 7 communities. Nodes related to insight, abstraction capacity, attention, and suspiciousness were the main bridges between network communities. The estimated network for the subgroup of patients in remission showed a sparser density and a different structure compared to the network of nonremitted patients. In conclusion, the present study conveys a detailed characterization of the interrelations between a set of core clinical elements of SSD. These results provide potential novel clues for clinical assessment and intervention.