Motor perseverations in schizophrenia

Classical neuropsychological descriptions of prefrontal syndromes emphasize qualitative, productive symptoms, among which the phenomena known as motor perseverations occupy a central position. The now popular assertions that selective prefrontal dysfunction characterizes chronic schizophrenia would be more compelling if such productive symptoms could be reliably elicited in these patients. The present study demonstrated the presence of conspicuous motor perseverations in a sample of chronic schizophrenic inpatients, elicited using techniques that were developed and validated in studies of patients with known frontal lobe lesions. The observedperseverations closely resemble, both in severity and typology, those documented in cases with focal damage to prefrontal cortex. The findings support the contention that prefrontal dysfunction exists in chronic schizophrenia.