OBJECTIVE: Alcoholism carries a liability of balance and gait instability that persists with sobriety. Such deficits are less well documented in schizophrenia and may be compounded by comorbidity with alcoholism, which is prevalent in schizophrenia. METHOD: The authors administered quantitative ataxia tests to 10 patients comorbid for schizophrenia and alcohol dependence/abuse, 10 nonalcoholic patients with schizophrenia, 24 nonschizophrenic patients with alcohol dependence, and 27 age-matched comparison men. RESULTS: All three patient groups were impaired relative to the comparison subjects. The comorbid group was significantly more impaired than the alcoholic group on most tests and was more impaired than the schizophrenia patients, especially when tested with eyes open. CONCLUSIONS: Rigorous quantitative testing revealed gait and balance deficits in schizophrenia, even without alcohol dependence, and exacerbated deficits in schizophrenia comorbid with alcoholism. The enhancement of postural stability expected with visual information was dampened in comorbid patients, implicating compromised sensorimotor integrative abilities.
OBJECTIVE:Alcoholism carries a liability of balance and gait instability that persists with sobriety. Such deficits are less well documented in schizophrenia and may be compounded by comorbidity with alcoholism, which is prevalent in schizophrenia. METHOD: The authors administered quantitative ataxia tests to 10 patients comorbid for schizophrenia and alcohol dependence/abuse, 10 nonalcoholic patients with schizophrenia, 24 nonschizophrenic patients with alcohol dependence, and 27 age-matched comparison men. RESULTS: All three patient groups were impaired relative to the comparison subjects. The comorbid group was significantly more impaired than the alcoholic group on most tests and was more impaired than the schizophreniapatients, especially when tested with eyes open. CONCLUSIONS: Rigorous quantitative testing revealed gait and balance deficits in schizophrenia, even without alcohol dependence, and exacerbated deficits in schizophrenia comorbid with alcoholism. The enhancement of postural stability expected with visual information was dampened in comorbid patients, implicating compromised sensorimotor integrative abilities.
Authors: Jessica A Bernard; Derek J Dean; Jerillyn S Kent; Joseph M Orr; Andrea Pelletier-Baldelli; Jessica R Lunsford-Avery; Tina Gupta; Vijay A Mittal Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2014-01-24 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Kayle S Sawyer; Marlene Oscar-Berman; Susan Mosher Ruiz; Daniel A Gálvez; Nikos Makris; Gordon J Harris; Eve M Valera Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2016-04-30 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Jerillyn S Kent; S Lee Hong; Amanda R Bolbecker; Mallory J Klaunig; Jennifer K Forsyth; Brian F O'Donnell; William P Hetrick Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-08-01 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Tahir Hakami; Nigel C Jones; Elena A Tolmacheva; Julien Gaudias; Joseph Chaumont; Michael Salzberg; Terence J O'Brien; Didier Pinault Journal: PLoS One Date: 2009-08-25 Impact factor: 3.240