title: Are neurological soft signs pre-existing markers in individuals with an at-risk mental state for psychosis?
abstract: Neurological soft signs (NSS) are more common in schizophrenic psychoses and in genetically high-risk individuals than in healthy controls. But nothing is known so far regarding individuals with a clinical at-risk mental state (ARMS). The goals of our study therefore were (a) to compare the NSS frequency in ARMS individuals to that of first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and (b) to test whether NSS could predict the transition to psychosis. Neurological soft signs were assessed using a shortened version of the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Fifty-three ARMS individuals (16 with later transition to psychosis=ARMS-T, and 37 without transition=ARMS-NT) and 27 FEP patients were recruited through the Basel Early Detection Clinic FePsy. Of the FEP patients 37% showed NSS. We found no significant differences between FEP and ARMS-T patients or between ARMS-NT and ARMS-T. Our findings of NSS being present already before transition to psychosis to the same extent as after transition provide further support to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenic psychoses. Furthermore, our findings might indicate that ARMS-NT individuals also suffer from some sort of neurodevelopmental abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: University of Basel Psychiatric Clinics, Center for Gender Research and Early Detection, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tamagni
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Studerus
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gschwandtner
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aston
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borgwardt
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riecher-Rössler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: At-risk mental state; Neurodevelopmental disorder; Neurological soft signs; Schizophrenic psychoses; Trait-marker; Transition to psychosis