Clinical Study of Delusion and Pressure Pain Threshold in Patients with Schizophrenia

정신분열병 환자의 신체망상과 압통역치에 관한 임상적 연구

Objects: This study aimed to evaluate the role of somatic delusion on the pain perception in patients with schizophrenia. It was hypothesized that pressure pain thresholds would be rather higher in schizophrenic patients who had somatic delusion than patients with other delusion. Methods The subjects were consisted of 3 groups, 23 men with schizophrenia who had somatic delusion, 25 men with schizophrenia who had other delusion, and 22 normal healthy controls. By using Algometer, pressure pain thresholds were examined to subjects on three non-tender sites with 6 weeks interval. The severity of delusion was evaluated in both patient groups. Statistically, Chi-square test, One-way ANOVA, Multivariate ANOVA, and Scheffe's test were used. Results : 1) There was significant difference between somatic and other delusion groups and normal control group at initial stage. 6 weeks later even when severity of delusion was thought to be ameliorated, this finding were sustained. 2) The severity of the components of delusion, conviction and preoccupation, were significantly decreased in both somatic delusion group and other delusion group according to the time interval. The decrements of the severity of delusion seems to be related with changes in pressure pain thresholds in both patient groups. Conclusions : We re-confirmed that both schizophrenic patient groups showed higher pressure pain thresholds compared to normal healthy control. However we failed to find the role of somatic delusion on pain perception in schizophrenia. Delusion, including somatic delusion, as a whole, seems to affect the increased level of pressure pain threshold due to attention deficit and decreased motivation in patients with schizophrenia.