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Article

The course of negative symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia and its predictors: A prospective two-year follow-up study

Publicated to:Schizophrenia Research. 189 (189): 84-90 - 2017-11-01 189(189), DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.01.047

Authors: Mezquida, Gisela; Cabrera, Bibiana; Bioque, Miquel; Amoretti, Silvia; Lobo, Antonio; Gonzalez-Pinto, Ana; Espliego, Ana; Corripio, Iluminada; Vieta, Eduard; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina; Berge, Daniel; Escarti, Maria J; Ibanez, Angela; Penades, Rafael; Sanchez-Torres, Ana M; Bernardo, Miguel

Affiliations

Araba Univ Hosp, Bioaraba Res Inst, Vitoria, Spain      University Hospital of Araba - Author
Biomed Res Networking Ctr Mental Hlth CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain      CIBER - Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red    CIBERSAM - Author
Complejo Hosp Navarra, Dept Psychiat, Pamplona, Spain       - Author
Hosp Clin Barcelona, Barcelona Clin Schizophrenia Unit, Villarroel 170, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain.      University of Barcelona    Hospital Clinic de Barcelona - Author
Hosp Clin Barcelona, Dept Child & Adolescent Psychiat & Psychol, Barcelona, Spain      Hospital Clinic de Barcelona    University of Barcelona - Author
Hosp Clin Barcelona, ICN, BCSU, Barcelona, Spain      Hospital Clinic de Barcelona    University of Barcelona - Author
Hosp Clin Barcelona, ICN, Dept Psychiat & Psychol, Barcelona, Spain      Hospital Clinic de Barcelona    University of Barcelona - Author
IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain      Hospital Clinic de Barcelona    IDIBAPS    University of Barcelona - Author
Navarra Inst Hlth Res, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain - Author
UAB, Hosp del Mar, Med Res Inst IMIM, Neurosci,Psychiat, Barcelona, Spain      Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques (IMIM)    Autonomous University of Barcelona    Hospital del Mar       - Author
UAB, Hosp Santa Creu & St Pau, IIB ST PAU, Dept Psychiat, Barcelona, Spain      Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau    Autonomous University of Barcelona - Author
Univ Alcala De Henares, IRYCIS, Hosp Univ Ramon y Cajal, Dept Psychiat, Madrid, Spain      Universidad de Alcala    Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal       - Author
Univ Barcelona, Dept Med, Barcelona, Spain      University of Barcelona - Author
Univ Basque Country UPV EHU, Leioa, Spain      University of Basque Country - Author
Univ Complutense, Sch Med, Hosp Gen Univ Gregorio Maranon, Child & Adolescent Psychiat Dept, Madrid, Spain      General University Gregorio Maranon Hospital    Complutense University of Madrid - Author
Univ Zaragoza, IIS Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain      University of Zaragoza - Author
Valencia Clin Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Valencia, Spain - Author
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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the course of negative symptoms and its stability over a two-year period following a first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and the possible predictors of higher severity in this symptomatology after this period.In this longitudinal two-year prospective follow-up study we included 268 patients with a FES, according to DSM-IV. Analysis of variance was conducted in patients who completed the full follow-up to study changes in negative symptoms over three visits. Regression analyses were conducted to show correlates and potential predictors of negative symptoms at two-year follow-up.There was a significant effect for time in negative symptomatology, which was less severe at one-year follow-up after a FES and remained stable up to two years (Time 1>Time 2>Time 3); F(2,151)=20.45, p<0.001. Poorer premorbid adjustment (p=0.01) and higher negative symptoms at baseline (p<0.001) made a significant contribution to the changes in the negative symptoms severity at two-years after a FES (R2=0.21, p<0.001).We found a reduction in the negative symptomatology at one-year after a FES. This change remained stable at two-year. Our results suggested that the presence of this symptomatology early in the course of the illness, together with a poorer premorbid adjustment, predict more severe negative symptoms at mid-term outcome.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

clinical-assessmentcognitive impairmentcoursedeficit syndromefirst-episodelongitudinalnegative symptomspredictorspremorbid adjustmentpsychosisscalescheduleschizophreniaspanishvalidation1st episode schizophreniaAdolescentAdultChildCohort studiesCourseFemaleFirst-episodeHumansLongitudinalMaleNegative symptomsNeuropsychological testsPredictorsPsychiatric status rating scalesPsychotic disordersSchizophreniaSchizophrenic psychologyTime factorsYoung adult

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Schizophrenia Research due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2017, it was in position 23/142, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Psychiatry.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.44. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.3 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)
  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 13.07 (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-28, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 40
  • Scopus: 45
  • Europe PMC: 17
  • Google Scholar: 59

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-28:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 96.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 96 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 8.58.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 2 (Altmetric).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Mezquida Mateos, Gisela) and Last Author (Bernardo Arroyo, Miguel).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Bernardo Arroyo, Miguel.