The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Difficulties and Clinical Features in Schizophrenia Patients

Objective: Sensory processing deficits in schizophrenia are critical factors influencing daily life experiences and overall functionality. This study aims to investigate sensory processing difficulties in schizophrenia patients and their relationship with clinical features. Methods: The study included 66 schizophrenia patients and 83 healthy controls. Sensory responsiveness was assessed using the Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRQ), and clinical features were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), and the Global Assessment Scale (GAS). Results: Schizophrenia patients had significantly lower SRQ-Hedonic scores compared to healthy controls (p = 0.042), while their SRQAversive scores were significantly higher (p = 0.001). SRQ-Total scores were also higher in the schizophrenia group, with borderline significance (p = 0.050). Correlation analyses revealed that SRQ-Hedonic scores were negatively correlated with negative symptoms (p = 0.003) and positively correlated with age of illness onset (p = 0.042). In contrast, SRQ-Aversive scores showed positive correlations with negative symptoms (p = 0.001) and general psychopathology symptoms (p = 0.001). Regression analyses showed that PANSS-Negative symptoms were the strongest predictor of SRQ scores (r = -0.346, p = 0.010 for SRQ-Hedonic; r = 0.599, p = 0.020 for SRQ-Aversive). Conclusion: Sensory processing abnormalities in schizophrenia are strongly associated with negative symptoms and general psychopathology. Managing sensory processing deficits in schizophrenia patients may contribute to developing new treatment approaches.