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. 2020 Feb;10(2):e01495.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.1495. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

Early and very early-onset schizophrenia compared with adult-onset schizophrenia: French FACE-SZ database

Nathalie Coulon  1   2   3 , Ophélia Godin  1   2 , Ewa Bulzacka  1   2 , Caroline Dubertret  1   3 , Jasmina Mallet  1   3 , Guillaume Fond  1   4 , Lore Brunel  1   2 , Méja Andrianarisoa  1   2 , George Anderson  5 , Isabelle Chereau  1   6 , Hélène Denizot  1   6 , Romain Rey  1   7 , Jean-Michel Dorey  1   7 , Christophe Lançon  1   8 , Catherine Faget  1   8 , Paul Roux  1   9 , Christine Passerieux  1   9 , Julien Dubreucq  1   10 , Sylvain Leignier  1   10 , Delphine Capdevielle  1   11 , Myrtille André  1   11 , Bruno Aouizerate  1   12 , David Misdrahi  1   12 , Fabrice Berna  1   13 , Pierre Vidailhet  1   13 , Marion Leboyer  1   2 , Franck Schürhoff  1   2
Affiliations

Early and very early-onset schizophrenia compared with adult-onset schizophrenia: French FACE-SZ database

Nathalie Coulon et al. Brain Behav. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To compare the clinical symptomatology in patients with Early-Onset Schizophrenia (EOS, N = 176), especially the subgroup Very Early Onset Schizophrenia (VEOS) and Adult Onset Schizophrenia (AOS, N = 551).

Method: In a large French multicentric sample, 727 stable schizophrenia patients, classified by age at onset of the disorder, were assessed using standardized and extensive clinical and neuropsychological batteries: AOS with onset ≥ 18 years and EOS with onset < 18 years (including 22 VEOS < 13 years).

Results: The importance of better diagnosing EOS group, and in particularly VEOS, appeared in a longer DUP Duration of Untreated Psychosis (respectively, 2.6 years ± 4.1 and 8.1 years ± 5.7 vs. 1.0 years ± 2.5), more severe symptomatology (PANSS Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale scores), and lower educational level than the AOS group. In addition, the VEOS subgroup had a more frequent childhood history of learning disabilities and lower prevalence of right-handedness quotient than the AOS.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates the existence of an increased gradient of clinical severity from AOS to VEOS. In order to improve the prognosis of the early forms of schizophrenia and to reduce the DUP, clinicians need to pay attention to the prodromal manifestations of the disease.

Keywords: adult-onset schizophrenia; duration of untreated psychosis; early-onset schizophrenia; symptomatology; very early-onset schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that there are no conflicts of interest in relation to the subject of this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multivariate analysis, VEOS + EOS <18 years versus AOS ≥ 18 years. The risk of having early onset is significantly associated with higher DUP, lower education level, and higher severity of the disease (PANSS > 70). CI, Confidence Interval; DUP, Duration of Untreated Psychosis; GAF, Global Assessment of Functioning; PANSS, Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale for schizophrenia
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