The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS): Independent validation in a large sample of Italian patients with schizophrenia

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mucci ◽  
S. Galderisi ◽  
E. Merlotti ◽  
A. Rossi ◽  
P. Rocca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Independent Validation ◽  
Validity Measures

AbstractBackgroundThe Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) was developed to address the main limitations of the existing scales for the assessment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The initial validation of the scale by the group involved in its development demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, and a factor structure confirming the two domains of negative symptoms (reduced emotional/verbal expression and anhedonia/asociality/avolition). However, only relatively small samples of patients with schizophrenia were investigated. Further independent validation in large clinical samples might be instrumental to the broad diffusion of the scale in clinical research.MethodsThe present study aimed to examine the BNSS inter-rater reliability, convergent/discriminant validity and factor structure in a large Italian sample of outpatients with schizophrenia.ResultsOur results confirmed the excellent inter-rater reliability of the BNSS (the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.81 to 0.98 for individual items and was 0.98 for the total score). The convergent validity measures had r values from 0.62 to 0.77, while the divergent validity measures had r values from 0.20 to 0.28 in the main sample (n = 912) and in a subsample without clinically significant levels of depression and extrapyramidal symptoms (n = 496). The BNSS factor structure was supported in both groups.ConclusionsThe study confirms that the BNSS is a promising measure for quantifying negative symptoms of schizophrenia in large multicenter clinical studies.

scholarly journals S71. CLINICAL, BEHAVIOURAL AND NEURAL VALIDATION OF THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOM SCALE (PANSS) AMOTIVATION FACTOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S61-S61
Author(s):  
Mariia Kaliuzhna ◽  
Matthias Kirschner ◽  
Fabien Carruzzo ◽  
Matthias Hartmann ◽  
Bischof Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Assessment ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Assessment Scales

Abstract Background Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are suggested to map onto two distinct factors – amotivation and diminished expression, which relate to different aspects of behaviour and neural activity. Most research in patients with schizophrenia is conducted with broad symptom assessment scales, such as the PANSS, for which factor solutions allowing the distinction between amotivation and diminished expression have only recently been reported. We aimed to establish whether the PANSS factor structure corresponds to the well-established two-factor structure of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and whether it allows distinguishing specific behavioural and neuronal correlates of amotivation. Methods In study 1 (N=120) we examined the correlations between the PANSS factors and the BNSS factors. In study 2 (N=31) we examined whether PANSS amotivation is specifically associated with reduced willingness to work for reward in an effort-based decision making task. In study 3 (N=43) we investigated whether PANSS amotivation is specifically correlated with reduced ventral striatal activation during reward anticipation using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results On the clinical level, the PANSS amotivation and diminished expression were highly correlated with their BNSS counterparts. On the behavioural level, PANSS amotivation factor but not the diminished expression factor was specifically associated with reduced willingness to invest effort to obtain a reward. On the neural level, PANSS amotivation was specifically associated with ventral striatal activation during reward anticipation. Discussion Our data confirm that the two domains of negative symptoms can be measured with the PANSS and are linked to specific aspects of behaviour and brain function. To our knowledge, this is the first study employing behavioural and neural measures to validate a new approach to clinical measurement of negative symptoms. Our results warrant a re-analysis of previous work that used the PANSS to further substantiate the distinction between the two factors in behavioural and neuroimaging studies.

scholarly journals Aberrant Frontostriatal Connectivity in Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1051-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh K Shukla ◽  
Joshua John Chiappelli ◽  
Hemalatha Sampath ◽  
Peter Kochunov ◽  
Stephanie M Hare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Distinct Component ◽  
The Right

AbstractNegative symptoms represent a distinct component of psychopathology in schizophrenia (SCZ) and are a stable construct over time. Although impaired frontostriatal connectivity has been frequently described in SCZ, its link with negative symptoms has not been carefully studied. We tested the hypothesis that frontostriatal connectivity at rest may be associated with the severity of negative symptoms in SCZ. Resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) data from 95 mostly medicated patients with SCZ and 139 healthy controls (HCs) were acquired. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale. The study analyzed voxel-wise rsFC between 9 frontal “seed regions” and the entire striatum, with the intention to reduce potential biases introduced by predefining any single frontal or striatal region. SCZ showed significantly reduced rsFC between the striatum and the right medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), lateral prefrontal cortex, and rostral anterior cingulate cortex compared with HCs. Further, rsFC between the striatum and the right medial OFC was significantly associated with negative symptom severity. The involved striatal regions were primarily at the ventral putamen. Our results support reduced frontostriatal functional connectivity in SCZ and implicate striatal connectivity with the right medial OFC in negative symptoms. This task-independent resting functional magnetic resonance imaging study showed that medial OFC–striatum functional connectivity is reduced in SCZ and associated with severity of negative symptoms. This finding supports a significant association between frontostriatal connectivity and negative symptoms and thus may provide a potential circuitry-level biomarker to study the neurobiological mechanisms of negative symptoms.

scholarly journals Development and Validity of the Questionnaire of Patients' Experiences in Postacute Outpatient Physical Therapy Settings

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Medina-Mirapeix ◽  
María Elena del Baño-Aledo ◽  
Jacinto Javier Martínez-Payá ◽  
María Carmen Lillo-Navarro ◽  
Pilar Escolar-Reina
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Health Care Quality ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

BackgroundPatient feedback surveys are increasingly seen as a key component of health care quality monitoring and improvement.ObjectiveThe study objective was to describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a fixed-length questionnaire about the experiences of patients receiving physical therapist treatment in postacute outpatient settings.DesignThis was an instrument development study with validity and reliability testing.MethodsA total of 465 participants attending 3 rehabilitation centers for musculoskeletal conditions completed the questionnaire. A cognitive pretest was applied to the draft version (n=94), and a revised version was evaluated for test-retest reliability (n=90). Analyses to evaluate variance and nonresponse rates for items, the factor structure of the questionnaire, and the metric properties of multi-item scales were conducted.ResultsExploratory factor analyses yielded evidence for a 7-factor structure of the questionnaire, with 3 factors that may be conceptually viewed as professionals' attitudes and behavior (providing information and education, sensitivity to patients' changes, and emotional support) and 4 factors that conceptually reflect organizational environment (duration of attendance, interruptions during care delivery, waiting times, and patient safety). Item-scale correlations ranged from .70 to .93. The percentage of scaling success was 100% for all of the scales. Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from .70 to .87. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .57 to .80 (median=.68).LimitationsGeneralization to other patients is not known.ConclusionsThe questionnaire has test-retest reliability, and the scales have internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity. All of the scales are distinct and unidimensional.

The Child PTSD Symptom Scale: An Investigation of Its Psychometric Properties

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (15) ◽  
pp. 2237-2256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regan W. Stewart ◽  
Chad Ebesutani ◽  
Christopher F. Drescher ◽  
John Young
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Ptsd Symptom ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Structure Reliability ◽  
Child Ptsd

The current study addresses the need for accurate measurement of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth by investigating the psychometric properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). The factor structure, reliability, and concurrent and discriminant validity of the CPSS were investigated in a sample of 206 6th- to 12th-grade adolescents. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a single-factor structure, which was contrary to the hypothesized three-factor structure. Scores comprising this one-factor structure were also associated with high reliability (α = .93), and tests of concurrent and discriminant validity were also strong. The implications of these findings are discussed, with particular emphasis on future directions for research on self-report measures for adolescent PTSD symptoms.

scholarly journals Network Analysis Reveals the Latent Structure of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1033-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory P Strauss ◽  
Farnaz Zamani Esfahlani ◽  
Silvana Galderisi ◽  
Armida Mucci ◽  
Alessandro Rossi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Null Model ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Latent Structure ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Mathematical Techniques ◽  
Community Detection Algorithm

Abstract Prior studies using exploratory factor analysis provide evidence that negative symptoms are best conceptualized as 2 dimensions reflecting diminished motivation and expression. However, the 2-dimensional model has yet to be evaluated using more complex mathematical techniques capable of testing structure. In the current study, network analysis was applied to evaluate the latent structure of negative symptoms using a community-detection algorithm. Two studies were conducted that included outpatients with schizophrenia (SZ; Study 1: n = 201; Study 2: n = 912) who were rated on the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). In both studies, network analysis indicated that the 13 BNSS items divided into 6 negative symptom domains consisting of anhedonia, avolition, asociality, blunted affect, alogia, and lack of normal distress. Separation of these domains was statistically significant with reference to a null model of randomized networks. There has been a recent trend toward conceptualizing the latent structure of negative symptoms in relation to 2 distinct dimensions reflecting diminished expression and motivation. However, the current results obtained using network analysis suggest that the 2-dimensional conceptualization is not complex enough to capture the nature of the negative symptom construct. Similar to recent confirmatory factor analysis studies, network analysis revealed that the latent structure of negative symptom is best conceptualized in relation to the 5 domains identified in the 2005 National Institute of Mental Health consensus development conference (anhedonia, avolition, asociality, blunted affect, and alogia) and potentially a sixth domain consisting of lack of normal distress. Findings have implications for identifying pathophysiological mechanisms and targeted treatments.

scholarly journals Factor Structure, Convergent, and Divergent Validity of the Prodromal Questionnaire–Negative Symptom Subscale

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-168
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Pierce ◽  
Seth D. Maxwell ◽  
Thomas M. Olino ◽  
Shanna Cooper ◽  
Lauren M. Ellman
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Divergent Validity ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Convergent And Divergent Validity ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Negative symptoms such as anhedonia are associated with psychosis risk and poorer outcomes. The Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) is a self-report questionnaire used to screen for psychosis spectrum symptoms. However, the convergent and divergent validity and underlying factor structure of the PQ–negative symptom subscale (PQ-N) have yet to be examined. Undergraduates ( N = 1,556) completed the PQ, Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale, and measures assessing anxiety, depression, and motivation. An exploratory factor analysis conducted on the PQ-N yielded a two-factor solution, reflecting subdimensions of social expression and dissociative–depressive experiences, contrary to previous research examining the factor structure of negative symptoms. Associations between the PQ-N, its two factors, and measures of negative symptoms and other psychopathology were examined. Results indicated that the PQ-N and its factors were more strongly correlated with measures of depression and anxiety than with measures of negative symptoms relating to motivation and pleasure, suggesting poor convergent and divergent validity.

The second-generation assessment scales: Brief negative symptom scale and clinical assessment interview for negative symptoms

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S70-S70
Author(s):  
A. Mucci ◽  
S. Galderisi
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Clinical Assessment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Assessment Interview ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Functional Outcome Measures ◽  
Internal Experience ◽  
Assessment Scales

The construct of negative symptoms has undergone significant changes since the introduction of first generation assessment scales, such as the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms or the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Blunted affect, Alogia, Asociality, Anhedonia and Avolition are largely recognized as valid domains of the negative symptoms construct.Among the new assessment instruments, both the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) are considered adequate in their coverage of the negative symptoms domains. They include the assessment of both behavior and internal experience for Anhedonia, Asociality and Avolition to avoid overlap with functional outcome measures, as well as consummatory and anticipatory components of anhedonia with an emphasis on the internal experience of pleasure.Strengths and limitations of these new assessment instruments will be reviewed in the light of some existing challenges, such as the distinction between primary and secondary negative symptoms and development of innovative treatments.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Defining negative symptoms remission in schizophrenia using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gurpreet Rekhi ◽  
Mei San Ang ◽  
Chan Yiong Huak ◽  
Emilio Fernandez-Egea ◽  
Brian Kirkpatrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptom ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Scale
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