Neuromotor functioning in adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder: associations with symptoms and neurocognition

Previously, Neumann and Walker (1999) used a computerized motor assessment and found that adults with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) displayed increased and more variable motor force compared to adults with other personality disorders or healthy controls. Using the same motor assessment, the current study examined whether an independent sample of adolescents with SPD manifested a similar pattern of motor dysfunction compared to adolescents with other Axis II disorders or those without a disorder. As predicted, the SPD group showed increased and more variable force compared to the other two groups, which did not differ on these measures. These same motor variables were correlated with negative symptoms, as well as perseverative responses on a card sorting test. The significant correlations between motor functioning and perseverative responses and negative symptoms support recent research suggesting that subcortical motor regions play a role in higher order cognition and negative symptoms. Differences as well as broad similarities in the pattern of motor findings between the adult and adolescent SPD studies are discussed.