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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

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01-02-2018 | Original Paper

Neurological soft signs precede the onset of schizophrenia: a study of individuals with schizotypy, ultra-high-risk individuals, and first-onset schizophrenia

Authors: Raymond C. K. Chan, Hui-ru Cui, Min-yi Chu, Tian-hong Zhang, Ya Wang, Yi Wang, Zhi Li, Simon S. Y. Lui, Ji-jun Wang, Eric F. C. Cheung

Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are one of the biomarkers for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, a few studies have examined the prevalence of NSS across the schizophrenia spectrum. The present study adopted a quasi-longitudinal study design and examined the prevalence of NSS and their associations with clinical and behavioural manifestations in participants in different stages of the illness. The abridged version of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory was administered to 39 patients with the first-episode schizophrenia, 39 individuals with ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, 39 individuals with schizotypy, and 39 healthy controls. Patients with the first-episode schizophrenia had a higher prevalence of NSS in motor coordination than healthy controls as well as individuals with UHR and schizotypy. Individuals with UHR exhibited a higher prevalence of sensory integration items than individuals with schizotypy and healthy controls. Discriminant analysis classified the membership of the individuals correctly across the spectrum with an accuracy of up to 60.9%. In particular, NSS could discriminate individuals with UHR from healthy controls at up to 85.9% accuracy. These findings suggest that NSS are robust biomarkers to detect and discriminate individuals in different stages of the schizophrenia spectrum from healthy controls.

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Title: Neurological soft signs precede the onset of schizophrenia: a study of individuals with schizotypy, ultra-high-risk individuals, and first-onset schizophrenia
Authors: Raymond C. K. Chan
Hui-ru Cui
Min-yi Chu
Tian-hong Zhang
Ya Wang
Yi Wang
Zhi Li
Simon S. Y. Lui
Ji-jun Wang
Eric F. C. Cheung
Publication date: 01-02-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 0940-1334
Electronic ISSN: 1433-8491
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-017-0828-4

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Neurological soft signs precede the onset of schizophrenia: a study of individuals with schizotypy, ultra-high-risk individuals, and first-onset schizophrenia

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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