Objectives:The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of past histories, current
symptoms, treatment responses and cognitive functions between smoking and non-smoking schizophrenic patients.
Methods:The subjects were composed of 67 schizophrenic patients including 36 smokers and 31
non-smokers. They were examined by psychiatric history checklist, Simpson and Angus’s rating scale
for extrapyramidal side effects, positive & negative syndromes scale(PANSS), global assessment
scale(GAS), and Vienna test including Standard Progressive Matrices(SPM), Cognitron, and Flicker
Fusion Analyzer(FFA)
Results:The results were as follows:
1) Although the duration of illness of smokers was longer than that of non-smokers, the smokers
had significantly higher score of GAS and significantly lower score of PANSS than non-smokers at
admission.
2) With effects of age and duration of illness controlled, there were no differences of mean dosage
of neuroleptics, extrapyramidal side effects, PANSS improvement rate and GAS improvement rate
between both groups.
3) With effects of age, duration of illness, and total PANSS score controlled, there were no
differences of score of SPM, cognitron, and FFA.
4) In smokers, the PANSS improvement rate and the GAS improvement rate were positively
correlated with mean number of daily smoked cigarettes, with effects of age and duration of illness
controlled.
Conclusions:In schizophrenic patients, smokers had less severe symptoms than non-smokers. In
smokers, the PANSS improvement rate and the GAS improvement rate were positively correlated
with mean number of daily smoked cigarettes. But smokers were not proven to have receivd higher
dosage of neuroleptics, to have lower extrapyramidal side effects, or to have less severe impairment of
cognitive function.