OBJECTIVE: To investigate the specificity of neurological soft signs (NSS) for first episode schizophrenia compared with mood disorders. METHOD: We assessed NSS in a sample of 60 healthy controls, 191 first episode psychosis patients and 81 mood disorder patients. We used a principle component analysis to identify dimensions of NSS. We subsequently investigated the specificity of these dimensions for schizophrenia and their relationships with medication and symptom scores. RESULTS: We identified five dimensions; coordination disorders, movement disorders, increased reflexes, dyskinesia and catatonia. These dimensions were related to neural circuits associated with schizophrenia and mood disorders and included the fronto-striatal-thalamic and the fronto-cerebellar pathway. The movement disorder dimension, which was suggestive for the involvement of the fronto-striatal-thalamic pathway, was specific for first episode schizophrenia independent from medication. CONCLUSION: NSS are the result of circuitry dysfunctions rather than overall dysfunction and a particular set of NSS shows specificity for schizophrenia. Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard 2004.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the specificity of neurological soft signs (NSS) for first episode schizophrenia compared with mood disorders. METHOD: We assessed NSS in a sample of 60 healthy controls, 191 first episode psychosispatients and 81 mood disorderpatients. We used a principle component analysis to identify dimensions of NSS. We subsequently investigated the specificity of these dimensions for schizophrenia and their relationships with medication and symptom scores. RESULTS: We identified five dimensions; coordination disorders, movement disorders, increased reflexes, dyskinesia and catatonia. These dimensions were related to neural circuits associated with schizophrenia and mood disorders and included the fronto-striatal-thalamic and the fronto-cerebellar pathway. The movement disorder dimension, which was suggestive for the involvement of the fronto-striatal-thalamic pathway, was specific for first episode schizophrenia independent from medication. CONCLUSION: NSS are the result of circuitry dysfunctions rather than overall dysfunction and a particular set of NSS shows specificity for schizophrenia. Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard 2004.
Authors: Qing Zhao; Zhi Li; Jia Huang; Chao Yan; Paola Dazzan; Christos Pantelis; Eric F C Cheung; Simon S Y Lui; Raymond C K Chan Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2013-05-13 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Raymond C K Chan; Weizhen Xie; Fu-lei Geng; Ya Wang; Simon S Y Lui; Chuan-yue Wang; Xin Yu; Eric F C Cheung; Robert Rosenthal Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2015-12-28 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Vijay A Mittal; Joseph M Orr; Jessica A Turner; Andrea L Pelletier; Derek J Dean; Jessica Lunsford-Avery; Tina Gupta Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2013-10-22 Impact factor: 4.939