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Published on: November 21, 2013
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Gesture deficits and apraxia in schizophrenia
Sebastian Walther1, Vijay A Mittal2, Katharina Stegmayer1
1Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Summary
Schizophrenia patients often exhibit impaired skilled actions, particularly hand gestures. This study suggests these deficits meet criteria for apraxia, sharing clinical and neurophysiological features with other motor control disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Motor Control
Background:
- Aberrant skilled action performance, including hand gesture deficits, is frequently observed in schizophrenia.
- These gesture impairments are not formally recognized as apraxia, a condition characterized by difficulties in skilled motor actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between apraxia and schizophrenia by reviewing praxis errors, psychopathology, and neural correlates.
- To determine if gesture deficits in schizophrenia align with the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of apraxia.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on praxis deficits in schizophrenia.
- Analysis of gesture error types, associated psychopathology, and cerebral correlates.
- Comparison of findings with established criteria for apraxia.
Main Results:
- Approximately 25% of schizophrenia patients exhibit gesture deficits severe enough to be classified as genuine apraxia.
- While motor and cognitive impairments are present, they do not fully account for the observed gesture abnormalities.
- Patients with praxis deficits show altered structure and function in the left parieto-premotor praxis network.
Conclusions:
- The gestural disorder in schizophrenia shares significant clinical and neurophysiological features with true apraxia.
- This finding offers a new perspective on schizophrenia's disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.
- The praxis deficit in schizophrenia is linked to specific alterations within the brain's praxis network.
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