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Biomedical subjects

B Andresen

Publications and source records attributed to B Andresen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
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The impact of neuroleptic dosage and extrapyramidal side effects on schizophrenic basic symptoms.

The impact of neuroleptic medication and extrapyramidal symptoms on abnormal subjective experiences in schizophrenia, also termed basic symptoms, as assessed with the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ) was investigated in 40 schizophrenic patients medicated with conventional neuroleptics. Basic symptoms are thought to reflect the subjective side of schizophrenic vulnerability and to underlie schizophrenic symptomatology. It was expected that basic symptoms would inversely correlate with chlorpromazine equivalents, since neuroleptics not only improve acute schizophrenic symptoms but also have prophylactic properties. However, a significant positive correlation with neuroleptic dosage and extrapyramidal symptoms emerged, suggesting that basic symptoms as operationalized in the FCQ partly reflect neuroleptic-induced deficits. The results remained unchanged when global psychopathology was controlled for. In line with previous research, basic symptoms correlated with thought disorder but not with positive symptoms. However, when the effects of neuroleptic-induced disturbances were controlled for, thought disorder also insignificantly correlated with basic symptoms. Our findings confirm previous results that question the construct validity of the FCQ. Moreover, the need to control for confounding variables (such as medication) is emphasized by comparing different psychiatric groups.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subjective cognitive dysfunction in first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients.

Previous studies indicate that first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients do not differ regarding neuropsychological performance as assessed with standard cognitive tasks. For the present study, it was investigated whether first-episode and chronic schizophrenics report similar subjective cognitive deficits. The Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ), a scale devised for assessing subjective cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia, was administered to 20 first-episode and 36 chronic schizophrenic patients, as well as 20 healthy controls. The schizophrenic subsamples did not differ on any of the FCQ subscales or on a "lie scale," measuring illness denial. Psychopathological ratings were comparable for both groups. As expected, healthy subjects reported significantly less cognitive and perceptual problems than schizophrenic patients. In marked contrast to a Kraepelinian view of schizophrenia, the present data confirm previous studies conducted with objective neuropsychological tests that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental rather than a neurodegenerative disorder.

Adult↗