Neurological soft signs discriminating mood disorders from first episode schizophrenia |
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Authors: | Boks M P M Liddle P F Burgerhof J G M Knegtering R van den Bosch R-J |
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Institution: | Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.p.m.boks@psych.azu.nl |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | schizophrenia mood disorders neurologic signs antipsychotic agents psychomotor performance movement disorders cerebellum eye movement |
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