The changes of biological markers and treatment efficacy in schizophrenia

1. In a group of schizophrenic patients, the effect and selected parameters of biological markers were evaluated during the index hospitalisation in t he acute phase of schizophrenia (n = 30) and then after one year of ambulat ory treatment. 2. During the acute treatment, a significant drop in symptomatology was rec orded in average; an analogical tendency was observed further on, too. Apar t from that, a significant change was observed in 5/41 parameters being mon itored (the pair t-test): I) decrease in the total NES score, II) decrease in the sensorial integration subscale NES score, III) increase in psychomot or speed, IV) decrease in auditory reaction time, V) increase in basal cort isol. 3. In the comparison of the successfully (severity of illness after one yea r; 1, 2) and unsuccessfully (severity of illness after one year greater tha n or equal to3) treated patients in the beginning of treatment in-the acute phase, the unsuccessful group had a significantly higher score of negative symptomatology, and by the end of the acute treatment, again, a significan tly higher score of negative symptomatology, a higher total PANSS score and a greater severity of illness. 4. In the acute phase, the successful group had a significantly better scor e in individual items of the Contemporary Memory Scale acid a significantly worse performance and goal-aimed concentration in the Bourdon test than th e unsuccessfully treated one; apart from that, it had a significantly highe r cortisol level after dexamethasone, which was also reflected in the lower percentage rate of dexamethasone nonsupression. 5. In the course of the year, a drop in the total NES score for the individ ual subscales occurred; a significant drop was observed in the sensory inte gration subscale. The worse concentration items improved significantly in t he successful group in contrast to the unsuccessful group, where they showe d a downgrade tendency. Changes in Contemporary Memory Scale were negligibl e and mostly below statistical significance. Apart from that, a drop in bas al cortisolemia occurred in the successful group and an increase in cortiso lemia after administering dexamethasone was registered in the unsuccessful group. 6. The more successful group had a significantly lower NES score, a signifi cantly better visual reaction time and a smaller forgetting item tin percen tiles) after the one-year period.