Electrodermal activity as a predictor of social functioning in female schizophrenics

Twenty-nine female schizophrenics and 20 female controls were presented with a series of moderately intense tones in a standard orienting habituation paradigm while skin conductance was monitored. Premorbid adjustment and symptoms were also rated, and the schizophrenics were observed 2 years later. The total schizophrenic group was divided into a good-outcome group and a poor-outcome group. Good social functioning outcome required both self-supporting ability in the job market and at least a minimal social life. The poor-outcome group had a significantly higher skin-conductance level and frequency of spontaneous skin-conductance fluctuations than the control group, whereas the few patients with good outcome did not differ from controls. These results are contrary to previous findings with a group of schizophrenic men in which poor social functioning was associated with low electrodermal activity. This discrepancy is discussed in terms of sex differences in schizophrenic disorder.     

Form discrimination performance of schizophrenics as a function of social censure, premorbid adjustment, chronicity, and diagnosis.

Tested the social censure hypothesis by presenting neutral and censure stimuli to 160 male 20-60 yr. old schizophrenic-paranoid inpatients in 10 experimental subgroups. Results support previous disconfirmatory studies which found that stimulus content is a minor factor in the explanation of the schizophrenic performance deficit. The similarity in performance of schizophrenics and other comparable hospitalized groups is discussed in relation to the possible confounding processes elicited by the form discrimination task. (28 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Embedded figures performance of schizophrenics as a function of chronicity, premorbid adjustment, diagnosis and medication.

Presents data on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) performance of 487 schizophrenics and other hospitalized patients divided in terms of chronicity, premorbid adjustment, diagnosis, and medication. Results indicate that chronicity was related to EFT performance, with chronic Ss generally more field dependent than acute Ss. Some schizophrenics, however, were relatively field dependent when entering the hospital and did not change with extensive hospitalization. Medication interacted with premorbid adjustment and diagnosis, with the medicated poor paranoid performing in a field-independent manner while the nonmedicated poor paranoid was quite field dependent. The effects of institutionalization are discussed. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapeutic expectations, premorbid adjustment, and manifest distress level as predictors of improvement in hospitalized patients.

Evaluated voluntary admissions to an open psychiatric ward (N = 49) at intake and discharge in order to determine whether improvement had occurred in faulty coping styles (ego weakness). Self-report, therapists', and supervisory staff ratings were used to assess change. 26 Ss were rated by consensus to be improved, and 23 were rated to be unchanged. 3 sets of variables were used to predict favorable outcome: (a) minimal patient expectations that the therapist would be uncaring, unstructuring, and insensitive; (b) staff ratings of good premorbid social adjustment; and (c) high initial level of manifest distress as judged by self-report, therapist, nurse, and staff evaluations. The multiple correlation for these predictors associated with favorable outcome was .59 (p     

Electrodermal activity and social network as predictors of outcome of episodes in schizophrenia.

The predictive value of electrodermal activity and social network was examined among 48 consecutively admitted schizophrenic patients. The patients were followed from an initial admission, through hospital stay, discharge, follow-up (M?=?31 months), and possible relapse. Outcome variables were the length of stay in the hospital at the key episode and time to relapse, defined as a marked exacerbation or return of schizophrenic symptoms requiring inpatient or expansion of outpatient treatment. Multivariate analyses showed that a psychosocial variable, the availability of attachment, was the only independent predictor of length of stay in the hospital. Age at admission was a strong predictor of time to relapse. Age interacted with both outcome and electrodermal activity, and young electrodermal nonresponders were found to have the shortest time to relapse. At the l-year followup, a main relapse effect was found for patients with a low skin conductance level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodermal activity as an index of arousal in schizophrenics.

Notes that previous reviews of research utilizing electrodermal activity as an index of arousal in schizophrenia have found no consistent differences between schizophrenics and normals, although other psychophysiological measures have shown chronic schizophrenics to be more aroused. A more detailed look at the electrodermal research, however, reveals that consistent results have been reported for 2 aspects of electrodermal activity: (a) habituation of responses or levels during periods of minimal stimulation (e.g., tones and lights of low intensity), and (b) frequency of spontaneous electrodermal responses regardless of stimulus conditions. Both of these measures appear to reflect arousal and yield results indicating that chronic schizophrenics are overaroused. (36 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meaning dimensions and male-female voice perception in schizophrenics with good and poor premorbid adjustment.

This study explored certain aspects of perceptual distortion in schizophrenia. Among schizophrenics with a good premorbid adjustment, schizophrenics with a poor premorbid adjustment, and normals, auditory perception of spoken material was compared as a function of (a) sex of voice and (b) dimensions of meaning. The Ss listened to successive presentations of a recorded spoken word, mixed with decreasing amounts of masking noise, until their recognition threshold were established. Schizophrenics with poor premorbid adjustment responding to the female voice had significantly higher thresholds than those responding to the male voice. This finding did not occur in schizophrenics with good premorbid adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation between current diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and the dimensions of premorbid adjustment, paranoid symptomatology, and chronicity.

46 broadly defined schizophrenics were diagnosed according to 7 current diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, and the subtyping dimensions of premorbid adjustment, paranoid symptomatology, and chronicity were assessed. Despite the minimal overlap between many of these criteria, samples selected by each of these systems were comparable in terms of the 3 subtyping dimensions. Results indicate that patients diagnosed as schizophrenic by each of these criteria were similar to schizophrenics who failed to meet those particular criteria with respect to premorbid adjustment, paranoid symptomatology, and chronicity. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodermal activity in schizophrenics: Further considerations.

Discusses a number of reports that challenge the generality of the conclusions of a recent review by R. A. DePue and D. C. Fowles (see record 1973-21232-001) that schizophrenics show both slower habituation than normal Ss for electrodermal activity and a greater frequency of spontaneous electrodermal responses. More generally, there is evidence of abnormally low electrodermal activity and responsiveness among some schizophrenics, and evidence of systematic trends in the behavior of such patients paralleling their physiological abnormalities. It appears that theories of schizophrenia need to account for the occurrence of hyperelectrodermal, hypoelectrodermal, and "paradoxical" electrodermal reactivity and tonic activity in connection with the disorder. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodermal base level, tonic arousal, and adaptation in chronic schizophrenics.

Electrodermal arousal was studied at rest and during repetitive stimulation in chronic schizophrenics who were rated at either extreme of the Montrose Rating scale (MRS), either receiving a phenothiazine or no drugs, and in a control normal sample. Resting base level was significantly higher among Hi than Lo MRS, and among Nondrug than Drug patients: no patient sample was reliably below Control level. Nondrug patients showed no impairment in tonic arousal relative to Controls, even when such patients showed impaired phasic response (though the drug was seemingly associated with diminished tonic response). Considerable independence was demonstrated between phasic and tonic electrodermal functions. Unlike Controls (or Drug patients), Nondrug patients showed a general heightening of electrodermal arousal during repetitive innocuous stimulation. A vigilance hypothesis was offered suggesting that sensitivity to the general demands of the environment remains high among chronic patients, even where there may be a reduction in the input of specific items of information from that environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodermal lability in delusional schizophrenics following personalized stimuli.

Presented a series of phrases to 10 male hospitalized paranoid schizophrenics and 10 male alcoholic controls while their electrodermal responses were recorded. The topics of the phrases were delusion-related, alcohol-related, or neutral. No main effect difference between the groups was found. However, the topic of the phrases affected the groups differently: Delusion-related and neutral stimuli produced greater lability in schizophrenics than in alcoholics. Results suggest that these schizophrenics responded to significant stimuli much like nonschizophrenics but differed from nonschizophrenics as to which stimuli they found significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associative interference and premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia.

The effects of associative interference on the verbal learning performance of 60 male process and reactive schizophrenics and 30 normals were studied using a mixed list with high and moderate interlist interference and new learning conditions. Schizophrenics made more errors than normals in the interference conditions but not in the new learning. Reactive schizophrenics made as many errors as the process group with high interference but significantly fewer under moderate interference. Process schizophrenics gave significantly more List 1 intrusions in List 2 learning than reactives or normals. Results support predictions from the qualitative differences theory of cognitive deficit. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corroborating premorbid dissociative symptomatology in dissociative identity disorder.

Clinicians are often cautious about making the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The existence of corroborating evidence that symptoms of DID existed prior to assessment may address concerns about the genuineness of individual cases. The authors report the results of a survey of clinicians to determine the frequency of corroboration that clients' DID symptoms existed prior to being diagnosed or prior to therapy. On the basis of 446 cases of DID, clinicians reported some form of corroboration (e.g., reports from family, medical records) in 73% of cases for symptoms prior to diagnosis and in 67% of cases for symptoms prior to therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Size estimation in schizophrenia as a function of censure, diagnosis, premorbid adjustment, and chronicity.

72 male schizophrenics divided in terms of chronicity, diagnosis, and premorbid adjustment estimated the size of a line embedded in different affective and neutral content. The main result was that premorbid adjustment and chronicity interacted in size-estimation performance with the good, premorbid-adjustment group exhibiting a smaller size estimation in the chronic condition than in the acute, while the poor, premorbid-adjustment group exhibited the opposite effect. Although a Premorbid Adjustment * Chronicity interaction was predicted in previous work, the specific over- or underestimation tendency found for each schizophrenic subgroup differed from those previously predicted. The differences in the present results and predictions derived from a review of the literature are discussed in terms of possible difficulties inherent in making inferences from studies which did not directly control the relevant subject dimensions. Results indicate little support for the social-censure hypothesis and suggest the greater effect of organismic variables relative to stimulus variables in predicting schizophrenic task performance. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associative interference in schizophrenia as a function of paranoid status and premorbid adjustment.

Administered a sorting task and a paired-associates-learning task, which included a built-in associative interference factor, to 80 hospitalized white male chronic schizophrenics, divided by paranoid or nonparanoid status and good or poor premorbid adjustment, and matched for age and education. Results added support to the associative interference theory concerning psychological deficit in schizophrenia. This was more pronounced in the case of the sorting task than the paired-associates-learning task perhaps because the latter is confounded by a strong memory factor. Findings also indicate that paranoid and premorbid status interactively affect performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance of good and poor premorbid male schizophrenics as a function of paternal vs. maternal censure.

The hypothesis that interference in schizophrenic performance depends on an interaction between level of premorbid adjustment, paternal vs. maternal source of stimulation, and censuring vs. approval content was tested. 4 tape recordings were played for 80 good and 80 poor premorbid adjustment schizophrenics—father-son censure, father-son approval, mother-son censure, and mother-son approval. Performance was measured by a change from a pre- to post-Digit-Symbol test. The hypothesis was confirmed—good premorbids show interference with paternal censure and poor premorbids with maternal censure. A comparison group of 80 normals did not show this kind of interaction. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chronic and discrete stress as predictors of children's adjustment.

Diabetes, as a chronic stressor, and negative life events (NLEs), as a discrete stressor, were related to children's behavioral adjustment, along with moderating effects of the family environment. Diabetes and NLEs predicted both higher internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) behavior problems, suggestive of nonspecific distress. Higher family conflict and lower cohesion each predicted more behavior problems (INT-EXT). However, conflict was the sole moderator of the stressors. Higher family conflict and diabetes exacerbated children's EXT behavior problems, with clinically elevated scores. Higher family conflict and higher NLEs resulted in clinically elevated INT-EXT behaviors. Conversely, low family conflict protected children's behavioral functioning from the stressors. Family cohesion was the sole predictor of children's social competencies but did not moderate the stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's Rorschach scores as predictors of later adjustment.

Tested the hypothesis that Rorschach measures of object relations and thought organization could help predict later adjustment. Ss were 70 former patients at a child residential treatment center who were followed-up as adults as part of an earlier investigation (age at initial assessment 6–11 yrs; age at follow-up 17–30 yrs). One-half of the Ss were reported at follow-up to have been rehospitalized for at least 6 mo, the other half had no further psychiatric services. The 2 groups were compared on a wide variety of preadmission and treatment variables. The Mann-Whitney test and Goodman-Kruskal's index of predictive association measure were employed to test whether J. Urist's (see record 1977-27679-001) object relations scale and W. Becker's (see record 1958-03143-001) thought organization scale could discriminate between the 2 groups. Object relations measures were found to be effective discriminators and predictors of later rehospitalization for the 58 boys in the study, particularly when used in conjunction with one another. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Skin conductance basal level and reactivity in schizophrenia as a function of chronicity, premorbid adjustment, diagnosis, and medication.

Examined the skin conductance basal level and GSR of 384 male schizophrenics divided into subgroups according to chronicity, premorbid adjustment, diagnosis, and medication. 10 male psychiatric aides served as normal controls. Results indicate that basal level differences between schizophrenic subgroups or between schizophrenics and normals were mainly due to long-term institutionalization. The novelty of the experimental situation, as contrasted with the usual minimal stimulation domicile of the chronic patient, resulted in extensive responsivity not exhibited by the acute schizophrenic, other hospitalized patients, or normals. An interaction of premorbid adjustment and diagnosis within the chronicity subgroups was also found. The GSR differences between schizophrenic subgroups were primarily due to begin on or off medication, and this was mainly evident in the premorbid adjustment grouping. The results of an examination of social censure stimulus effects were not supportive of a social censure hypothesis. (35 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factorial structure and prognostic significance of premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia.

A sample of 291 resident male schizophrenic patients were rated on the Becker revision of the Elgin Prognostic Scale and on the Phillips Prognostic Rating Scale. 28 items drawn from both scales were factor analyzed. The factors were rotated to both varimax orthogonal solution and to biquartimin oblique solution. The 2 methods yielded a high degree of factorial similarity. 7 factors were: I, Social Withdrawal, Few Interests; II, Inadequate Heterosexual Relationships; III, Socially Undesirable Ward Behavior; IV, Rigid, Flat Affect. and Apathy; V, Insidious Onset; VI, Stubborn and Egocentric; and VII, Chronic Poor Physical Health. Correlations with a measure of chronicity (for 3 social class groupings) indicated that Factors I, II, III, and V have important prognostic power. These findings emphasize the need for a multivariate research approach to premorbid adjustment and the inclusion of the new and prognostically significant Factor III (Socially Undesirable Ward Behavior). (27 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)