Longitudinal study of neurological soft signs in first-episode early-onset psychosis.
BACKGROUND
In recent decades, the assessment of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with psychosis has become a subject of special interest. The study of the progression of NSS during adolescence will provide valuable information about the role of NSS as endophenotypes or biomarkers and about brain development at a stage in which brain maturation has not yet been completed.


METHODS
Neurological soft signs were assessed in a sample of 110 first episodes of early-onset psychosis (EOP) and 98 healthy children and adolescents at two different times in a 2-year follow-up period.


RESULTS
Patients with EOP showed more NSS than controls both at baseline (p < .001) and the 2-year follow-up (p < .001). No differences were found in the number of signs among the different diagnostic subgroups (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychoses). When we examined the changes in NSS over the follow-up, the reduction of NSS in the patients was greater than the controls for 'Motor coordination' (p = .032), 'Others' (p < .001), and 'Total score' (p < .001) of the NES.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the greater reduction of NSS in patients than in controls along the follow-up, patients still have more neurological signs than healthy controls; therefore, these signs may be considered a trait marker. NSS do not seem to be specific to schizophrenia as they are present in different EOPs.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. mmayoral@hggm.es
M
M
Mayoral
I
I
Bombín
J
J
Castro-Fornieles
A
A
González-Pinto
S
S
Otero
M
M
Parellada
D
D
Moreno
I
I
Baeza
M
M
Graell
M
M
Rapado
C
C
Arango
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index