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Neurological soft signs and schizophrenia.
Eva-Maria Tsapakis1,2, Calypso A Mitkani3, Konstantinos N Fountoulakis2
1Agios Charalampos Mental Health Clinic, Heraklion, Greece.
CNS Spectrums
|March 16, 2023
Summary
Neurological soft signs (NSS) may indicate abnormal neurodevelopment and serve as objective markers for psychosis, independent of medication. These signs could help identify individuals at risk for schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Neurological soft signs (NSS) reflect neurodevelopmental abnormalities and aberrant neural maturation.
- NSS are observed across the psychosis spectrum, not exclusively in schizophrenia.
- They may represent a stable trait characteristic of serious psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of NSS as objective measures in assessing psychiatric disorders.
- To investigate the relationship between NSS and illness stage, treatment, and symptomology in psychosis.
- To determine the potential of NSS in identifying individuals at risk for schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence on neurological soft signs.
- Analysis of studies examining NSS in relation to schizophrenia symptoms and neurocognition.
- Exploration of potential neuroanatomical correlates of NSS.
Main Results:
- NSS appear to be independent of antipsychotic treatment and illness stage.
- Evidence suggests moderate relationships between NSS and neurocognitive deficits.
- Structural substrates implicated include somatomotor/somatosensory regions, cerebellum, and basal ganglia.
Conclusions:
- NSS may serve as a valuable, objective trait marker for psychosis, aiding in early identification and assessment.
- Further research is needed to clarify the ambiguous relationships between NSS and specific schizophrenia symptom clusters.
- NSS hold potential for identifying individuals at elevated risk for developing schizophrenia.
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