Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Avolition and Occam's Razor

Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Avolition and Occam's Razor The identification of schizophrenia's negative symptoms dates back to the earliest descriptions of Kraepelin and Bleuler, who each highlighted the central role of avolition in the phenomenology and course of this illness. Since, there have been numerous advances in our understanding of schizophrenia, and the present review tracks the changes that have taken place in our understanding of negative symptoms, their description and measurement. That these symptoms represent a distinct domain of the illness is discussed in the context of their ties to other symptoms and functional outcome. The underlying structure of the negative symptom construct is explored, including several lines of investigation that point towards diminished expression and amotivation as key underlying subdomains. We also discuss findings of intact emotional experience and consummatory pleasure in individuals with schizophrenia, calling into question the presence of anhedonia in this illness. We conclude with a reconceptualization of the negative symptoms, suggesting amotivation (ie, avolition) represents the critical component, particularly in regard to functional outcome. Further exploration and clarification of this core deficit will ultimately enhance our neurobiological understanding of schizophrenia, as well as strategies that may improve outcome. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Schizophrenia Bulletin Oxford University Press

Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Avolition and Occam's Razor

Schizophrenia Bulletin , Volume 36 (2) – Jul 21, 2008

Loading next page...
 
/lp/oxford-university-press/negative-symptoms-in-schizophrenia-avolition-and-occam-s-razor-vlgQIhjORp

References (98)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.
ISSN
0586-7614
eISSN
1745-1701
DOI
10.1093/schbul/sbn094
pmid
18644851
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The identification of schizophrenia's negative symptoms dates back to the earliest descriptions of Kraepelin and Bleuler, who each highlighted the central role of avolition in the phenomenology and course of this illness. Since, there have been numerous advances in our understanding of schizophrenia, and the present review tracks the changes that have taken place in our understanding of negative symptoms, their description and measurement. That these symptoms represent a distinct domain of the illness is discussed in the context of their ties to other symptoms and functional outcome. The underlying structure of the negative symptom construct is explored, including several lines of investigation that point towards diminished expression and amotivation as key underlying subdomains. We also discuss findings of intact emotional experience and consummatory pleasure in individuals with schizophrenia, calling into question the presence of anhedonia in this illness. We conclude with a reconceptualization of the negative symptoms, suggesting amotivation (ie, avolition) represents the critical component, particularly in regard to functional outcome. Further exploration and clarification of this core deficit will ultimately enhance our neurobiological understanding of schizophrenia, as well as strategies that may improve outcome.

Journal

Schizophrenia BulletinOxford University Press

Published: Jul 21, 2008

Keywords: motivation avolition apathy anhedonia functional outcome cognitive symptoms

There are no references for this article.