High family expressed emotion combined with greater electrodermal activity was associated with the highest levels of negative symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia patients at 1-year follow-up.
Observational (n=94)
Does the interaction of electrodermal activity and expressed emotion predict symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia?
The combination of high family expressed emotion and sympathetic nervous system arousal (EDA) confers high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes in recent-onset schizophrenia.
In the present study, expressed emotion (EE) was assessed among immediate family members of 94 recent-onset schizophrenia patients at initial study entry point, and patients' electrodermal activity (EDA) was measured without the presence of family members at a baseline outpatient stabilization assessment. Psychiatric symptoms were also rated, both at the baseline outpatient test and at 1-year follow-up. Electrodermal activity × expressed emotion interactions were observed at both test points. In each case, the highest levels of negative symptoms were observed among those who exhibited greater EDA and lived in a high-EE environment. These results support the view that the combination of high family EE and sympathetic nervous system arousal confer especially high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes.
Subotnik et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Recent-onset schizophrenia (n=94). Electrodermal activity (EDA) and expressed emotion (EE) was evaluated on Psychiatric symptoms (negative symptoms). High family expressed emotion combined with greater electrodermal activity was associated with the highest levels of negative symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia patients at 1-year follow-up.