Facial and upper-limb movement abnormalities in individuals with psychotic-like experiences: a motion analysis study

Slow movements and irregular muscle contraction have been reported separately in different studies targeting individuals with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). To date, it remains unknown whether these two movement abnormalities, possibly associated with hypo- and hyper-dopaminergia, respectively, co-existed in one sample with PLEs and interrelated in the early stage of psychotic progression. Therefore, this study was to examine if facial and upper-limb slow movements and irregular muscle contraction co-existed in individuals with PLEs, interrelated, and were associated with PLEs. A total of 26 individuals with PLEs, who were identified using the 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire, and 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls received the facial and upper-limb movement measurement. A motion capture system was used to record the movement procedure and thus calculate kinematic variables that represented severity of slow movements and irregular muscle contraction. Results showed that facial and upper-limb slow movements and facial irregular muscle contraction existed in individuals with PLEs. For the total sample, slower facial movements were associated with less regular facial muscle contraction; slower upper-limb movements were associated with less regular upper-limb muscle contraction. Slower and less regular facial and upper-limb movements were associated with more severe PLEs. Compensatory changes in dopaminergic neural pathways in response to elevated dopamine might explain connection between slow movements and irregular muscle contraction. Because of the ability to detect facial and upper-limb movement abnormalities objectively and sensitively, motion analysis has great applicability to sensorimotor studies for people in the psychosis continuum.