Schizophrenia Research Trends

In: Schizophrenia Research Trends ISBN 13: 978-1-60021-746-3Editor: Konstance V. Almann, pp. 1-53© 2008 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.Chapter IBODY IMAGE DEVIATION IN CHRONICSCHIZOPHRENIA: NEW RESEARCHReiko Koide ∗ and Akira TamaokaInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba-Shi, Ibaraki-Ken, JapanBackgroundABSTRACTBody image aberration in schizophrenia was earlier conceived as delusional andhallucinatory symptoms. However, perceptions of schizophrenia have changeddramatically, especially with the concept of negative symptoms in the 1980s and in the1990s, to include the neurocognitive aspects of schizophrenia. Deviations inschizophrenics’ body image from the standard underlying various behaviors orallegations concerning the body should be now refocused. In this chapter, using the BodyImage Questionnaire (BIQ), comprised of three hypothetical components, anatomical,functional and psychological, attempts were made to resolve some primary questions.They were (1) whether or not there is any related clinical characteristics to schizophrenicbody image abberation, (2) whether there are aberrant components of body imagespecific to schizophrenia, (3) whether or not there is unique link between depression andbody image in schizophrenia.MethodsIn study 1, correlations between body image assessed by the BIQ and clinicalcharacteristics as positive and negative symptoms assessed by SAPS and SANS, insightassessed by SAI, and daily dose of conventional antipsychotic drugs were examined. Instudy 2, three components of body image, that is, anatomical, functional and∗Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: R. Koide. 1-6-2-905-305, Takezono, Tsukuba-Shi, Ibaraki-Ken, Japan. E-mail: ttn5aks258@mx6.ttcn.ne.jp