NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS IN 204 HONG-KONG CHINESE PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background. Studies of the relationship between negative symptoms, neu ropsychological impairments and neurological signs in schizophrenia ha ve yielded inconsistent results. In addition, little attention has bee n directed to address the extent of cultural modulation of negative sy mptoms. Method. We carried out cross-cultural validation of the High R oyds Evaluation of Negativity Scale (HEN) in 50 Hong Kong Chinese pati ents with schizophrenia. We then investigated the relationship between negative symptoms, neurological signs and neuropsychological impairme nt in 204 patients. Results. Good interrater reliability. internal rel iability, convergent and discriminant validity were found with the HEN . The HEN contained four factors corresponding to 'behaviour', 'functi oning', 'thought' and 'appearance'. Negative symptoms were correlated with semantic fluency but not with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test perform ance or sustained attention. Negative symptoms were also correlated wi th tardive dyskinesia and catatonia but not with soft neurological sig ns. Conclusions. Cross-cultural robustness of the negative symptoms co nstruct is supported. Association of negative symptoms with a specific profile of neurocognitive impairment suggests diversity within defici t domains in schizophrenia.