Exploring the associations between psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions in first-episode schizophrenia: A network analysis.

BACKGROUND

First-episode schizophrenia represents a critical period for intervention in the treatment of schizophrenia. Understanding the intricate relationships between psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions is vital for early precise intervention and predicting illness outcomes. Previous research has largely overlooked this issue, and traditional analytical methods based on pre-established theoretical assumptions are insufficient. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing graph theory-based network analysis.

METHODS

The study employed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to assess psychiatric symptoms. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Digit Symbol and Information subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), which measure information processing efficiency and general knowledge, respectively. A network of psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions was constructed based on these assessments.

RESULTS

The network analysis revealed that negative symptom nodes were central. Notably, node N1 (Blunted affect) showed a negative correlation with the Digit Symbol node, being the only psychiatric symptom node linked to cognitive functions. Community detection analysis indicated that cognitive, positive symptom, and negative symptom nodes tended to cluster within their respective categories, while general psychopathology nodes showed a tendency to cluster with various types of nodes. Some general psychopathology nodes were isolated, reflecting the concealed nature of certain psychiatric symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia patients.

CONCLUSION

This study innovatively applies network analysis to explore the characteristics of the psychiatric symptom-cognitive function network in Chinese patients with first-episode schizophrenia. The findings provide valuable theoretical insights for targeted symptom-based interventions and for predicting disease outcomes in first-episode schizophrenia.