Chronic schizophrenic patients with the most severe social deterioration
have been shown to differ from other chronic schizophrenic patients with
respect to measures of left-to-right ventricular asymmetry, negative
symptoms, and response to haloperidol treatment. In the current study, the
authors investigated the social antecedents of these characteristics of
very poor outcome schizophrenia in 69 chronic schizophrenic patients. Poor
premorbid sociosexual functioning was associated with more severe
left-to-right ventricular asymmetry, greater severity of negative symptoms,
fewer positive symptoms, and worse current social functioning. These data
suggest that factors associated with severe social deterioration in the end
stage of schizophrenia are also associated with premorbid sociosexual
impairment.Abstract Teaser