Ji. Tracy et al., REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A SINGLE DISTURBANCE OR DISCRETE SYMPTOMS, Schizophrenia research, 20(1-2), 1996, pp. 221-229
Schizophrenia patients often display multiple repetitive behaviors. We
investigated relations among nine repetitive behaviors and evaluated
the hypothesis that these behaviors are varied manifestations of a sin
gle underlying biobehavioral disturbance. Nine repetitive behaviors fr
om the Elgin Behavioral Rating Scale were assessed in 400 schizophreni
a patients residing at a state hospital. A majority of patients were s
mokers (76.3%) and very few had pica (3%). Several other repetitive be
haviors showed substantial frequency. A principal components analysis
revealed eight of nine behaviors shared at least 10% of their variance
with a single, common component. However, a principal factor analysis
suggested a live-factor model best represented the data. The five fac
tors and items identifying them were: (1) 'oral consumption' behaviors
- polydipsia and smoking; (2) 'Kluver-Bucy' behaviors - bulimia and h
ypersexuality; (3) 'movement' behaviors - mannerisms/postures and paci
ng; (4) 'bizarre use of objects' - bizarre grooming and hoarding; (5)
'Pica'. Associations among repetitive behaviors varied. Symptoms such
as smoking and polydipsia appeared reliably related, and others such a
s pica appeared discrete and independent. Overall, the data did not su
pport the 'single disturbance' hypothesis and suggested a multifactori
al model is needed to characterize repetitive behavior disturbances in
schizophrenia.