REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A SINGLE DISTURBANCE OR DISCRETE SYMPTOMS

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.