PANSS
Pronunciation: PAN-ss
Also written as: PANSS — Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, a standardized assessment tool for measuring symptom severity in schizophrenia.
Full Definition
The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is a widely used clinical rating instrument designed to assess the severity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The scale consists of 30 items that evaluate positive symptoms (such as delusions and hallucinations), negative symptoms (such as blunted affect and social withdrawal), and general psychopathology. Each item is rated on a seven-point scale from absent to extreme. The PANSS is commonly used in clinical trials, research studies, and routine clinical practice to track treatment response and disease progression.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalize when using the acronym; spell out on first use in formal documents.
In Context
- "The patient's PANSS scores showed significant improvement in positive symptoms after six weeks of antipsychotic treatment." — clinical research report
- "Baseline PANSS assessments were completed for all study participants before randomization." — clinical trial protocol