Am J Psychiatry 155:84-89, January 1998
© 1998 American Psychiatric Association
Neurological Abnormalities in Schizophrenic Patients and Their Siblings
Baher Ismail, M.D.,
Elizabeth Cantor-Graae, Ph.D., and
Thomas F. McNeil, Ph.D.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and type of neurological abnormalities in schizophrenic patients and their nonpsychotic siblings. METHOD: A comprehensive neurological assessment, including evaluation of both hard and soft signs, was performed for 60 schizophrenic patients, 21 siblings, and 75 normal comparison subjects. RESULTS: None of the comparison subjects scored higher than 6 on the neurological assessment scale, but a score of 7 or higher was given to 67% of patients and 19% of siblings. Both patients and siblings scored significantly higher than comparison subjects on total neurological abnormalities, hard signs, soft signs, primitive reflexes, integrative sensory functions, and motor functions. The most conspicuous abnormalities were motor coordination problems and involuntary movements in the patients and cranial nerve deviations and mirror movements in their siblings. Levels of neurological abnormality were positively correlated within patient-sibling pairs. The total battery and hard signs best discriminated patients from comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of neurological abnormality characterize both schizophrenic patients and their siblings. The constellation of abnormalities and absence of overt psychopathology in siblings may represent the mildest form of disturbance within the schizophrenia spectrum. Levels of neurological abnormality covary positively in patients and siblings within the same family, suggesting common genetic and/or environmental pathogenic factors. An extended assessment battery provides optimal discrimination of patients from normal subjects, and hard signs are more differentially associated with schizophrenia than are soft signs. The neurological abnormality has no consistent localizing profile, and nearly all functional domains are involved. (Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155:84–89)
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
P. F. Whitty, O. Owoeye, and J. L. Waddington
Neurological Signs and Involuntary Movements in Schizophrenia: Intrinsic To and Informative on Systems Pathobiology
Schizophr Bull,
March 1, 2009;
35(2):
415 - 424.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. P. Koning, D. E Tenback, J. van Os, A. Aleman, R. S. Kahn, and P. N. van Harten
Dyskinesia and Parkinsonism in Antipsychotic-Naive Patients With Schizophrenia, First-Degree Relatives and Healthy Controls: A Meta-analysis
Schizophr Bull,
November 5, 2008;
(2008)
sbn146v1.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. M. HYDE, T. E. GOLDBERG, M. F. EGAN, M. C. Lener, and D. R. WEINBERGER
Frontal release signs and cognition in people with schizophrenia, their siblings and healthy controls
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
August 1, 2007;
191(2):
120 - 125.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Bachmann, C. Bottmer, and J. Schroder
Neurological Soft Signs in First-Episode Schizophrenia: A Follow-Up Study
Am J Psychiatry,
December 1, 2005;
162(12):
2337 - 2343.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. Bombin, C. Arango, and R. W Buchanan
Significance and Meaning of Neurological Signs in Schizophrenia: Two Decades Later
Schizophr Bull,
October 1, 2005;
31(4):
962 - 977.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. W. Schubert and T. F. McNeil
Neuropsychological Impairment and Its Neurological Correlates in Adult Offspring With Heightened Risk for Schizophrenia and Affective Psychosis
Am J Psychiatry,
April 1, 2005;
162(4):
758 - 766.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. W. Schubert and T. F. McNeil
Prospective Study of Neurological Abnormalities in Offspring of Women With Psychosis: Birth to Adulthood
Am J Psychiatry,
June 1, 2004;
161(6):
1030 - 1037.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. G. McCREADIE, R. THARA, T. N. SRINIVASAN, and R. PADMAVATHI
Spontaneous dyskinesia in first-degree relatives of chronically ill, never-treated people with schizophrenia
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
July 1, 2003;
183(1):
45 - 49.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. FEARON and R. MURRAY
Intellectual function and schizophrenia
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
October 1, 2002;
181(4):
276 - 277.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. DAZZAN and R. M. MURRAY
Neurological soft signs in first-episode psychosis: a systematic review
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
September 1, 2002;
181
(43):
s50 - s57.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. F. Egan, T. M. Hyde, J. B. Bonomo, V. S. Mattay, L. B. Bigelow, T. E. Goldberg, and D. R. Weinberger
Relative Risk of Neurological Signs in Siblings of Patients With Schizophrenia
Am J Psychiatry,
November 1, 2001;
158(11):
1827 - 1834.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. M. LAWRIE, M. BYRNE, P. MILLER, A. HODGES, R. A. CLAFFERTY, D. G. C. OWENS, and E. C. JOHNSTONE
Neurodevelopmental indices and the development of psychotic symptoms in subjects at high risk of schizophrenia
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
June 1, 2001;
178(6):
524 - 530.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. I. Karp, M. Garvey, L. K. Jacobsen, J. A. Frazier, S. D. Hamburger, J. S. Bedwell, and J. L. Rapoport
Abnormal Neurologic Maturation in Adolescents With Early-Onset Schizophrenia
Am J Psychiatry,
January 1, 2001;
158(1):
118 - 122.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. F. McNeil, E. Cantor-Graae, and D. R. Weinberger
Relationship of Obstetric Complications and Differences in Size of Brain Structures in Monozygotic Twin Pairs Discordant for Schizophrenia
Am J Psychiatry,
February 1, 2000;
157(2):
203 - 212.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Arango, J. J. Bartko, J. M. Gold, and R. W. Buchanan
Prediction of Neuropsychological Performance by Neurological Signs in Schizophrenia
Am J Psychiatry,
September 1, 1999;
156(9):
1349 - 1357.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Ismail, E. Cantor-Graae, and T. F. McNeil
Minor Physical Anomalies in Schizophrenic Patients and Their Siblings
Am J Psychiatry,
December 1, 1998;
155(12):
1695 - 1702.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
Get information about faster international access.
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 1998
American Psychiatric Association.
All rights reserved.
Home
| Search
| Current Issue
| Past Issues
| Subscribe
| All APPI Journals
| Help
| Contact Us
|
