Four behavioural syndromes of schizophrenia: a replication in a second inner-London epidemiological sample

In a previous large epidemiological survey of patients with strictly define d schizophrenia in the London borough of Camden, we extracted four behaviou ral syndromes (Social withdrawal, Thought disturbance, Anti-social behaviou r and Depressed behaviour) by factor analysis of MRC Social Behaviour Sched ule (SBS) data. These syndromes had significant differential relationships to symptoms assessed using the Manchester Scale (MS), symptom-derived syndr omes, and social functioning variables. A second inner-London epidemiologic al survey of schizophrenia in South Westminster using identical methodology found the same four behavioural syndromes with identical core component it ems. The same four behavioural syndromes were extracted, whether applying s trict Feighner diagnostic criteria (n = 112) or broader DSM-III-R criteria (n = 198). The four syndromes extracted from the Feighner positive sample s howed relationships to symptoms and social functioning variables similar to those found in the original Camden study. However, the symptom-derived fac tors were not the same and did not conform to the three recognised symptom- based syndromes of schizophrenia. This successful replication suggests that assessment of the four behavioural syndromes of schizophrenia offers a dif ferent perspective on disability and a potentially relevant measure in clin ical practice, clinical trials and studies of the neuropsychology and patho physiology of schizophrenia. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.