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The interaction of electrodermal activity and expressed emotion in predicting symptoms in recent‐onset schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Subotnik Kenneth L.,
Schell Anne M.,
Chilingar Mark S.,
Dawson Michael E.,
Ventura Joseph,
Kelly Kimberle A.,
Hellemann Gerhard S.,
Nuechterlein Keith H.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01383.x
Subject(s) - psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , expressed emotion , arousal , clinical psychology , outpatient clinic , test (biology) , developmental psychology , psychiatry , audiology , medicine , neuroscience , paleontology , biology
In the present study, expressed emotion ( EE ) was assessed among immediate family members of 94 recent‐onset schizophrenia patients at initial study entry point, and patients' electrodermal activity ( EDA ) was measured without the presence of family members at a baseline outpatient stabilization assessment. Psychiatric symptoms were also rated, both at the baseline outpatient test and at 1‐year follow‐up. Electrodermal Activity × Expressed Emotion interactions were observed at both test points. In each case, the highest levels of negative symptoms were observed among those who exhibited greater EDA and lived in a high‐ EE environment. These results support the view that the combination of high family EE and sympathetic nervous system arousal confer especially high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes.