Comparison of PANSS 10-Item and 30-Item Versions

This technical report presents a comparative analysis of the 10-item and 30-item versions of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in assessing symptom severity and treatment response in an acutely exacerbated adult schizophrenia clinical trial population. The study utilizes data from 12 clinical trials involving 3,067 adult subjects, focusing on the percent change from baseline to last visit for both PANSS versions. The analysis includes linear regression to compare scores and polychoric correlations to assess agreement between the two scales. Results indicate that the abbreviated PANSS-10 performs comparably to the full PANSS, with minimal mean differences in percent change and strong correlations in categorical classifications of change. The report discusses the advantages of the PANSS-10, including reduced rater burden and faster administration, while acknowledging limitations such as potential biases from the post-hoc derivation of the 10-item scale. Future research directions are suggested to explore the standalone use of the PANSS-10 in diverse clinical settings.