BIOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF 1-YEAR OUTCOME IN SCHIZOPHRENIA IN MALES ANDFEMALES

This paper describes a prospective study designed to ascertain the pre dictive value of biological factors associated with schizophrenia in m ales and females. In a sample of 59 medication-free schizophrenic inpa tients (41 males; 18 females), we assessed the correlation of four fac tors - rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency, delta (slow-wave) sleep , dexamethasone suppression test (DST) cortisol levels, and ventricle- brain ratio (VBR)- with several dimensions of outcome at 1-year post-d ischarge. In the total sample, shorter REM latency was associated with poor outcome on all dimensions measured: rehospitalization, employmen t, social activity, symptomatology, and global functioning. However, n one of the other biological factors were associated with any measure o f outcome. The predictive value of REM latency appeared to be gender-s pecific; in general, the relationships between reduced REM latency and poor outcome were consistently noted in females, but were not signifi cant in males. These results suggest that a common, possibly gender-re lated, pathophysiological mechanism might underlie both abnormal REM l atency and poor outcome. The findings underscore the importance of con sidering gender differences in studies of schizophrenia.