P500. Deficit and Distress Symptom Profiles in Schizophrenia are Influenced by Season of Birth: A Replication

Environmental conditions of gestation and early post-natal life have lifelong influences on development and health outcomes. Season of birth (SOB) is a proxy for some of these conditions (e.g., affecting light exposure, activity levels, prevalent pathogens). Earlier work has linked spring/summer birth with deficit schizophrenia. We previously linked spring birth with a PANSS deficit profile (elevated negative and reduced distress symptoms) in a discovery sample of 451 people with schizophrenia. We retested this finding in an independent, 306-person replication sample.