title: Comparison of objectively measured motor behavior with ratings of the motor behavior domain of the Bern Psychopathology Scale (BPS) in schizophrenia.
abstract: Motor symptoms in schizophrenia occur frequently and are relevant to diagnosis and antipsychotic therapy. To date motor symptoms are difficult to assess and their pathobiology is a widely unresolved issue. The Bern Psychopathology Scale for the assessment of system-specific psychotic symptoms (BPS) was designed to identify homogenous patient groups by focusing on three domains: language, affectivity and motor behavior. The present study aimed to validate the motor behavior domain of the BPS using wrist actigraphy. In total, 106 patients were rated with the BPS and underwent 24 h continuous actigraphy recording. The ratings of the global severity of the motor behavior domain (GSM) as well as the quantitative and the subjective items of the motor behavior domain of the BPS were significantly associated with actigraphic variables. In contrast, the qualitative items of the motor domain failed to show an association with actigraphy. Likewise, scores of the language and the affectivity domains were not related to actigraphic measures. In conclusion, we provided substantial external validity for global, quantitative and subjective ratings of the BPS motor behavior domain. Thus, the BPS is suitable to assess the dimension of quantitative motor behavior in the schizophrenia spectrum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bracht
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heidemeyer
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koschorke
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Razavi
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wopfner
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Strik
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walther
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology