Table 1.
Demographic, clinical and post-mortem characteristics of control and schizophrenia cases.
| Cases | Ctrl (n = 40) | Sz (n = 37) | Test statistic | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 22F:18M | 10F:27M | X2 0.013 | 0.020 |
| Age at death (years, mean ± SD (age range)) | 76.28 ± 22.13 (23–100) | 62.05 ± 17.82 (21–94) | t −3.10 | 0.003 |
| Post-mortem delay (hours, mean ± SD) | 47.35 ± 32.75 | 42.50 ± 22.69 | t −0.63 | 0.530 |
| Evidence of psychotic symptoms at time of death | Present 16/37 (43.2%) Absent 21/37 (56.8%) |
|||
| Age of onset (years, mean ± SD) | 32.03 ± 10.89 | |||
| Duration of illness (years, mean ± SD) | 30.36 ± 18.31 | |||
| Cause of death | ||||
| Cardiovascular disease | 31/40 (77.5%) | 13/37 (35.1%) | ||
| Infection/inflammation | 6/40 (15.0%) | 14/37 (37.8%) | ||
| Trauma* | 3/40 (7.5%) | 8/37 (21.7%) | ||
| Others* | 0/40 (0.0%) | 2/37 (5.4%) |
Ctrl, neurologically/cognitively normal controls; Sz, Schizophrenia cases; F, female, M, male; SD, standard deviation. *Trauma in Ctrl: multiples injuries (unspecified), injury intra-abdominal organs, foreign body in respiratory tract. *Trauma in Sz: 6 suicides, hypothermia, foreign body in respiratory tract. *Other causes of death: liver disease, unknown.