Consensus five factor PANSS for evaluation of clinical remission: effects on functioning and cognitive performances

Criteria developed by the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group (RSWG), based upon 8 core symptoms of PANSS, are generally used for evaluation of Remission. However, some concerns have arisen as regard to the ability of the RSWG criteria to detect truly remitted cases. This study aims to compare the severity criteria of remission defined by the RSWG (RSWG-cr) with more restrictive criteria, based upon the use of PANSS factor model. Methods 112 chronic psychotic outpatients were examined. Symptomatic remission according to RSWGcr was compared with remission according to criteria based on the 20-items of PANSS considered in the consensus five factor model (PANSS-FCTcr), in relation to functional and neurocognitive outcomes. Results Data from the study demonstrated the superiority of PANSS-FCTcr in identifying patients with higher functional and cognitive outcomes. Conclusion PANSS-FCTcr seems to be suitable for use in both common clinical practice and research setting, being associated with improved identification of truly remitted patients.