Predominant negative symptoms in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and their associations with cognitive functioning and functional outcome.

[22q11.2 deletion syndrome]

22 q 11 .2 deletion syndrome (22 q 11 .2 DS ) is a neurogenetic condition associated with increased risk for schizophrenia . No study do date has explored how positive and negative symptoms of psychosis are distributed among individual patients with 22 q 11 .2 DS and if distinct patterns of symptoms can be identified . Negative symptoms being more frequent than positive symptoms in 22 q 11 .2 DS , we expected that a high number of patients would display predominant negative symptoms (PNS ), whereas predominant positive symptoms would be less frequently reported . The present study aims at investigating the cognitive deficits and functional outcome associated with distinct patterns of psychotic symptoms in 22 q 11 .2 DS . 63 adolescents and young adults with 22 q 11 .2 DS participated in this study . Each participant underwent a clinical and a cognitive evaluation . A cluster analysis was used to identify groups of individuals with distinct patterns of symptoms . Individuals from the different clusters were then compared on a series of cognitive measures and on functional outcome . Three clusters of individuals were identified : low levels of symptoms , PNS , and high levels of symptoms . Individuals with PNS had significantly lower visual memory scores and decreased processing speed compared to participants with low levels of symptoms . They were also rated as having lower functional and occupational outcome . The present results indicate that one third of adolescents and young adults with 22 q 11 .2 DS display PNS . This pattern of symptoms was associated with specific cognitive deficits and decreased functional outcome . Future studies are needed to examine the developmental trajectories of these individuals and assess their risk of conversion to full-blown psychosis .