A forced five-dimensional factor analysis and concurrent validity of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in Mexican schizophrenic patients A. Fresa ´n a , C. De la Fuente-Sandoval b , C. Loyzaga a , M. Garcı ´a-Anaya a , N. Meyenberg b , H. Nicolini b , R. Apiquian a, * a Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramo ´n de la Fuente, Calz. Me ´xico-Xochimilco 101. Col. San Lorenzo, Huipulco., CP 14370 Mexico City, Mexico b Carracci Medical Group, Mexico City, Mexico Received 1 December 2003; received in revised form 21 February 2004; accepted 17 March 2004 Available online 26 June 2004 Abstract The heterogeneity of schizophrenic symptomatology is well documented. The positive – negative distinction is limited to cover the entire spectrum of schizophrenic psychopathology in order to describe the various clinical aspects of the disorder. Method: We recruited 150 schizophrenic patients between May 2002 and September 2003. Diagnoses were based on a structured clinical interview. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate general psychopathology and symptom severity. For the concurrent validity of the pentagonal model of the PANSS, the BPRS, the CDSS, the OAS and the MMSE were used. Results: The forced five-factor principal-component analysis explained 53.4% of the total variance. There were significant correlations between the clinical rating scales and the five components of the PANSS. Discussion: Our data support a pentagonal model underlying the multidimensional schizophrenic symptomatology as assessed by the PANSS. The five-factor structure of the PANSS in Mexican schizophrenic patients enables further elucidation of the various clinical aspects of schizophrenia. D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. Keywords: Schizophrenia; PANSS factor structure; Validity 1. Introduction The heterogeneity of schizophrenic symptomato- logy is well documented. The distinction between positive or productive symptoms and negative or deficit symptoms (Strauss et al., 1974) leads to the hypotheses that syndromes dominated by pos- itive symptoms or by negative symptoms may reflect separate domains in schizophrenia with different pathophysiological processes (Crow, 1980, 1985). Although the positive – negative distinction has provided a meaningful approach for schizophrenia, its ability to cover the entire spectrum of schizophren- ic psychopathology is limited for the description of 0920-9964/$ - see front matter D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2004.03.021 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +52-55-56-55-28-11; fax: +52- 55-55-13-37-22. E-mail address: rogelioapiquian@yahoo.com.mx (R. Apiquian). www.elsevier.com/locate/schres Schizophrenia Research 72 (2005) 123 – 129