The Bern psychopathology scale for the assessment of system-specific psychotic symptoms

Strik, Werner; Wopfner, Alexander; Horn, Helge; Koschorke, Philipp; Razavi, Nadja; Walther, Sebastian; Wirtz, Gustav (2010). The Bern psychopathology scale for the assessment of system-specific psychotic symptoms. Neuropsychobiology, 61(4), pp. 197-209. Basel: Karger 10.1159/000297737

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The translation from psychiatric core symptoms to brain functions and vice versa is a largely unresolved issue. In particular, the search for disorders of single brain regions explaining classical symptoms has not yielded the expected results. Based on the assumption that the psychopathology of psychosis is related to a functional imbalance of higher-order brain systems, the authors focused on three specific candidate brain circuitries, namely the language, and limbic and motor systems. These domains are of particular interest for understanding the disastrous communication breakdown during psychotic disorders. Core symptoms of psychosis were mapped on these domains by shaping their definitions in order to match the related brain functions. The resulting psychopathological assessment scale was tested for interrater reliability and internal consistency in a group of 168 psychotic patients. The items of the scale were reliable and a principal component analysis (PCA) was best explained by a solution resembling the three candidate systems. Based on the results, the scale was optimized as an instrument to identify patient subgroups characterized by a prevailing dysfunction of one or more of these systems. In conclusion, the scale is apt to distinguish symptom domains related to the activity of defined brain systems. PCA showed a certain degree of independence of the system-specific symptom clusters within the patient group, indicating relative subgroups of psychosis. The scale is understood as a research instrument to investigate psychoses based on a system-oriented approach. Possible immediate advantages in the clinical application of the understanding of psychoses related to system-specific symptom domains are also discussed.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Psychiatric Neurophysiology [discontinued]
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Management
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > UPD Murtenstrasse

UniBE Contributor:

Strik, Werner, Wopfner, Alexander, Horn, Helge Joachim, Koschorke, Philipp, Razavi, Nadja, Walther, Sebastian, Wirtz, Gustav

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0302-282X

Publisher:

Karger

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 14:13

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:02

Publisher DOI:

10.1159/000297737

PubMed ID:

20299814‎

Web of Science ID:

000277181300004

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.2984

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/2984 (FactScience: 206075)

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