Measuring head movements in schizophrenia using inertial measurement

Abstract

Methods: 374 subjects admitted to a psychiatric hospital with a schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorder were included. 84 (22.5%) of them had an involuntary legal status. Medication adherence was recorded by the MARS (medication adherence rating scale) and an instrument developed for this purpose measuring perceived coercion with respect to medication and other aspects of treatment. In addition, a comprehensive set of psychopathological, clinical and sociodemographic variables was recorded at each follow-up as well as the time span to a subsequent hospitalisation. Follow-up investigations were performed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.Objective: Deficits in attention, memory or executive performance are well known symptoms in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In contrast, data on cognitive impairment in schizoaffective disorder are still lacking or conflicting.