title: Neurological abnormalities in recent-onset schizophrenia and asperger-syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurological abnormalities including a variety of subtle deficits such as discrete impairments in sensory integration, motor coordination (MOCO), and sequencing of complex motor acts are frequently found in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and commonly referred to as neurological soft signs (NSS). Asperger-syndrome (AS) is characterized by sensory-motor difficulties as well. However, the question whether the two disorders share a common or a disease-specific pattern of NSS remains unresolved.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 78 age- and education-matched participants [26 patients with recent-onset SZ, 26 individuals with AS, and 26 healthy controls (HC)] were recruited for the study. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), with age, years of education, and medication included as covariates, were used to examine group differences on total NSS and the five subscale scores. Discriminant analyses were employed to identify the NSS subscales that maximally discriminate between the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences among the three groups were found in NSS total score and on the five NSS subscales. The clinical groups differed significantly in the NSS subscale MOCO. The correct discriminant rate between patients with SZ and individuals with AS was 61.5%. The correct discriminant rate was 92.3% between individuals with AS and HC, and 80.8% between SZ patients and HC, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide new evidence for the presence of NSS in AS and lend further support to previously reported difficulties in movement control in this disorder. According to the present results, SZ and AS seem to be characterized by both quantitative and qualitative NSS expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirjak
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany ; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Saarland University , Homburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Robert Christian
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Dance Movement Therapy, Faculty of Therapeutic Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mehl
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Janna K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kelbel
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina Maria
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kubera
authors.affiliation: Personality, Psychological Assessment, and Psychological Methods, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz Landau , Landau , Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Traeger
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp Arthur
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomann
keywords: Asperger-syndrome; NSS; motor abnormalities; recent-onset schizophrenia