Moderate to severe negative symptoms predict low risk of symptoms worsening in schizophrenia patients in CATIE.
Schizophr ResJun 6, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPsychiatry
Helene Speyer, Jonathan Rabinowitz, Remy Luthringer et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial analyzed data from 1139 adults with schizophrenia to assess whether baseline negative symptom severity predicts symptom exacerbation risk. The study found that higher baseline negative symptoms were associated with a longer time to exacerbation, with hazard ratios of 0.72 and 0.70 for medium and high negative symptom groups, respectively, compared to the lowest tertile.
Key findings
- 25.5% of participants experienced symptom exacerbation over 18 months.
- Higher baseline negative symptoms correlated with longer time to exacerbation.
- Medium and high negative symptom groups had reduced exacerbation risk (HR = 0.72 and HR = 0.70).
- Significant separation in survival curves across negative symptom tertiles (p < 0.05).
Why it matters
Understanding the relationship between negative symptoms and exacerbation risk can inform prognosis and treatment strategies in schizophrenia, highlighting the need for tailored management approaches based on symptom severity.