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Psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia.
Manuel Morrens1, Wouter Hulstijn, Bernard Sabbe
1Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, Building A, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium. mmorrens@hotmail.com
Schizophrenia Bulletin
|November 10, 2006
Summary
Psychomotor slowing (PS) in schizophrenia is a distinct symptom cluster. This review clarifies its nature, impact on patient outcomes, and treatment implications.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Psychomotor slowing (PS) is a recognized symptom in schizophrenia, yet its specific nature and role remain underexplored.
- Distinguishing PS from reduced processing speed is often challenging in clinical and research settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first comprehensive review of existing literature on psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia.
- To clarify the clinical characteristics, neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment implications of PS.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of all available literature on psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia.
- Analysis of neuropsychological measures, clinical symptom correlations, imaging studies, and treatment effects.
Main Results:
- PS is reliably measured by tasks assessing fine motor speed and sustained manual activity, independent of medication.
- PS correlates with negative symptoms, and to a lesser extent, positive and depressive symptoms, impacting social and functional outcomes.
- Neuroimaging studies link PS to striatal dopaminergic activity; atypical antipsychotics show modest improvement over conventional agents.
Conclusions:
- Psychomotor slowing is a significant, measurable feature of schizophrenia with clear clinical and functional implications.
- Understanding PS is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic strategies, with atypical agents offering some benefit.
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