Motoric neurological soft signs and psychopathological symptoms in schizophrenic psychoses

Jähn, Thomas; Hubmann, W.; Karr, Marcus; Mohr, Fritz; Schlenker, R.; Heidenreich, Thomas; Cohen, Rudolf; Schröder, Johannes

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2002.12.003

Cited by 70 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Furthermore, we are aware of the fact that schizophrenia patients with more severe psychotic symptoms have been shown to score higher on the NSS scale in comparison with schizophrenia patients without any negative or positive symptoms [67]. However, it is important to note that sulcogyral development occurs mainly during fetal life, is complete before two years of age and undergoes only minor changes during adolescence and early adulthood [68,69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local brain gyrification as a marker of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia

Hirjak

Kubera

Wolf

et al. 2015

Behavioural Brain Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local brain gyrification as a marker of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia

Hirjak

Kubera

Wolf

et al. 2015

Behavioural Brain Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Neurological soft signs (NSS) are neurological abnormalities including a variety of subtle deficits such as discrete impairments in sensory integration, motor coordination, sequencing of complex motor acts, clumsiness, and occurrence of primitive reflexes (1–3). A higher prevalence of NSS has been consistently demonstrated not only in patients with clinically manifest schizophrenia (SZ) but also in their non-psychotic first-degree relatives (4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

“…Previous clinical and neuroimaging studies identified a higher prevalence of NSS in individuals with schizophrenia at any stage of their illness and in their first-degree relatives [2,3,4,5]. Moreover, increased NSS scores have been shown to correlate with the clinical course of the disease in general and psychopathological symptoms in particular [6]. Some authors suggest NSS to be present even before transition to full-blown psychosis [7,8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurological Soft Signs and Brainstem Morphology in First-Episode Schizophrenia

Hirjak

Stieltjes²,

Hauser

et al. 2013

Neuropsychobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Minor motor and sensory deficits or neurological soft signs (NSS) have frequently been reported in patients with schizophrenia at any stage of their illness. NSS have been demonstrated to correlate with neuroanatomical abnormalities in various brain regions. Despite its important role in the integration and coordination of automatic motor actions, the brainstem has so far rather been ignored in previous neuroimaging studies on NSS in schizophrenia. Method: We investigated 21 right-handed first-episode schizophrenia patients using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. The severity of NSS was measured with the Heidelberg Scale. Associations between NSS and both brainstem volume and shape changes were examined. Results: Higher NSS scores were significantly associated with structural alterations in the brainstem. According to volume measurements higher NSS scores correlated with global changes of the brainstem. Using shape analyses these associations referred to regionally specific morphometric alterations predominantly in the midbrain and pons. Conclusion: The findings suggest that brainstem morphometric alterations are associated with the severity of NSS in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. They further indicate the involvement of the brainstem in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

show abstract

Motoric neurological soft signs and psychopathological symptoms in schizophrenic psychoses

Cited by 70 publications

References 37 publications

Local brain gyrification as a marker of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia

Local brain gyrification as a marker of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia

Neurological Abnormalities in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome

Neurological Soft Signs and Brainstem Morphology in First-Episode Schizophrenia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About