Are neurological soft signs pre-existing markers in individuals with an at-risk mental state for psychosis?

Tamagni, Corinne; Studerus, Erich; Gschwandtner, Ute; Aston, Jacqueline; Borgwardt, Stefan; Riecher-Rössler, Anita

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.016

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Therefore, our first finding supports the hypothesis that patients with SZ exhibit serious problems when using sensory information to guide and time fine finger and hand movements. Moreover, there is some evidence that abnormalities of fine MOCO have a developmental origin and manifest even in a group of clinical at-risk mental state individuals (64, 65). In fact, research on NSS in ultra-high risk (UHR) conditions for developing mental illness might also provide important clues for the understanding of motor abnormalities in psychotic disorders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

et al. 2014

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Background: Neurological abnormalities including a variety of subtle deficits such as discrete impairments in sensory integration, motor coordination (MOCO), and sequencing of complex motor acts are frequently found in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and commonly referred to as neurological soft signs (NSS). Asperger-syndrome (AS) is characterized by sensory-motor difficulties as well. However, the question whether the two disorders share a common or a disease-specific pattern of NSS remains unresolved.Method: A total of 78 age- and education-matched participants [26 patients with recent-onset SZ, 26 individuals with AS, and 26 healthy controls (HC)] were recruited for the study. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), with age, years of education, and medication included as covariates, were used to examine group differences on total NSS and the five subscale scores. Discriminant analyses were employed to identify the NSS subscales that maximally discriminate between the three groups.Results: Significant differences among the three groups were found in NSS total score and on the five NSS subscales. The clinical groups differed significantly in the NSS subscale MOCO. The correct discriminant rate between patients with SZ and individuals with AS was 61.5%. The correct discriminant rate was 92.3% between individuals with AS and HC, and 80.8% between SZ patients and HC, respectively.Conclusion: Our findings provide new evidence for the presence of NSS in AS and lend further support to previously reported difficulties in movement control in this disorder. According to the present results, SZ and AS seem to be characterized by both quantitative and qualitative NSS expression.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

et al. 2014

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“…29 Neurological signs (NS), which are neurological abnormalities in sensory and motor performance, are not specific to schizophrenia as they are also present in bipolar disorder, 30 in early-onset psychoses independently of whether the individuals later develop schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, 31 and in subjects with an at-risk mental state for psychosis. 32 NS are also more prevalent in earlyonset cases of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder than in healthy controls.…”

Section: Cognitive Impairment During Development In Schizophrenia Andmentioning

confidence: 96%

Differential Neurodevelopmental Trajectories in Patients With Early-Onset Bipolar and Schizophrenia Disorders

Arango¹,

Fraguas

Parellada

2013

Schizophrenia Bulletin

106

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Schizophrenia and bipolar disorders share not only clinical features but also some risk factors such as genetic markers and childhood adversity, while other risk factors such as urbanicity and obstetric complications seem to be specific to schizophrenia. An intriguing question is whether the wellestablished abnormal neurodevelopment present in many children and adolescents who eventually develop schizophrenia is also present in bipolar patients. The literature on adult bipolar patients is controversial. We report data on a subgroup of patients with pediatric-onset psychotic bipolar disorder who seem to share some developmental trajectories with patients with early-onset schizophrenia. These earlyonset psychotic bipolar patients have low intelligence quotient, more neurological signs, reduced frontal gray matter at the time of their first psychotic episode, and greater brain changes than healthy controls in a pattern similar to earlyonset schizophrenia cases. However, patients with earlyonset schizophrenia seem to have more social impairment, developmental abnormalities (eg, language problems), and lower academic achievement in childhood than early-onset bipolar patients. We suggest that some of these abnormal developmental trajectories are more related to the phenotypic features (eg, early-onset psychotic symptoms) of these 2 syndromes than to categorically defined Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders disorders.

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“…NSS are consistently found in first episode medication-naïve patients (Mayoral et al, 2008, Zabala et al, 2006), their relatives (Gabalda et al, 2008, Mechri et al, 2009), at-risk mental state (ARMS) patients (Tamagni et al, 2013), and those with the schizotypal personality trait (Barkus et al, 2006, Barrantes-Vidal et al, 2003, Chan et al, 2010b, Kaczorowski et al, 2009). Collectively these results suggest that NSS are a neurodevelopmental marker inherent to psychosis risk (Bachmann et al, 2005, Bachmann et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurological soft signs: Effects of trait schizotypy, psychological distress and auditory hallucination predisposition

Leede-Smith

Roodenrys

Horsley

et al. 2017

Schizophrenia Research: Cognition

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Schizotypy is regarded as a trait vulnerability for psychotic disorders, yet alone is insufficient for development of a diagnosable disorder. Additional symptoms and psychological distress are necessary for help seeking and transition from an at risk mental state to a clinical diagnosis. The present study investigated the interaction between trait schizotypy, state auditory verbal hallucination (AVH) predisposition, distress and handedness for the expression of neurological soft signs (NSS), a neurodevelopmental vulnerability factor for psychosis. Cluster analysis formed schizotypy groups statistically across the dimensions captured by the SPQ. It was hypothesized that schizotypy and AVH predisposition would interact, resulting in significantly greater NSS. Psychological distress and handedness were hypothesized to be significant covariates, accounting for some variance in the expression of NSS between the groups. A sample of University students (n = 327) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale, General Health Questionnaire and the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Cluster Analysis revealed four schizotypy groups. Distress was not a significant covariate in any analysis. As expected, those with high overall schizotypy and high AVH predisposition expressed significantly greater Motor-Coordination NSS compared to those with high schizotypy and low AVH predisposition. Within the Mixed Interpersonal and Cognitive-Perceptual Schizotypy cluster, those with low AVH predisposition expressed significantly more Motor-Coordination NSS than those with high AVH predisposition. These findings suggest motor coordination NSS are detectable in schizotypy, and AVH predisposition appears to interact with these traits. This study highlights the importance of considering both trait and subclinical state risk factors when investigating risk for psychosis.

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Are neurological soft signs pre-existing markers in individuals with an at-risk mental state for psychosis?

Cited by 17 publications

References 42 publications

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

Differential Neurodevelopmental Trajectories in Patients With Early-Onset Bipolar and Schizophrenia Disorders

Neurological soft signs: Effects of trait schizotypy, psychological distress and auditory hallucination predisposition

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