title: Course of neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenia: Relationship with negative symptoms and cognitive performances.
abstract: This prospective study examined the course of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and its relationship with negative symptoms and cognitive functions. One hundred and forty-five patients with first-episode schizophrenia were recruited, 29 were classified as having prominent negative symptoms. NSS and neuropsychological measures were administered to all patients and 62 healthy controls at baseline. Patients were then followed-up prospectively at six-month intervals for up to a year. Patients with prominent negative symptoms exhibited significantly more motor coordination signs and total NSS than patients without prominent negative symptoms. Patients with prominent negative symptoms performed worse than patients without negative symptoms in working memory functions but not other fronto-parietal or fronto-temporal functions. Linear growth model for binary data showed that the prominent negative symptoms were stable over time. Despite general improvement in NSS and neuropsychological functions, the prominent negative symptoms group still exhibited poorer motor coordination and higher levels of NSS, as well as poorer working memory than patients without prominent negative symptoms. Two distinct subtypes of first-episode patients could be distinguished by NSS and prominent negative symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Raymond C K
authors.initials: RCK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fu-Lei
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.|Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China.
authors.forename: Simon S Y
authors.initials: SSY
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China.
authors.forename: Karen K Y
authors.initials: KKY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China.
authors.forename: Karen S Y
authors.initials: KSY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Raquel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ruben C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China.
authors.forename: Eric F C
authors.initials: EFC
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult