Year: 2003
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Studies of Neurological Soft Signs (NSS) in schizophrenia are confounded by handedness, inconsistent methodology, and prior treatment with neuroleptics. The study objective is to examine NSS in never-treated schizophrenia. METHOD: We examined the NSS in treatment-naïve schizophrenia patients (n = 21) and age, sex, education, and handedness matched normal controls (n = 21) using the modified Neurological Evaluation Scale with good inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: Schizophrenia patients had significantly more NSS than normals. No significant correlation was found between illness duration and NSS. CONCLUSION: Higher neurological signs in never-treated patients and their lack of association with illness duration suggest neurodevelopmental etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: U.S. Public Health Service
Award: G185543492
OpenAlex ID: W1970902032