THE CONTINGENT NEGATIVE-VARIATION IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

The authors analyzed th contingent negative variations of 20 medicated patients with schizophrenia diagnosed according to DSM-III-R and 20 a ge- and sex-matched normal comparison subjects. For the patients with schizophrenia, there were significant correlations between contingent negative variation amplitude and two items on the Scale for the Assess ment of Negative Symptoms (affective flattening and avolition-apathy) and the total score on this scale. These findings have implications re garding the underlying pathology of negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia.