The specificity of neurological signs in schizophrenia: a review

This review examines the extent to which neurological signs are more preval ent in schizophrenia patients, compared to mood-disorder patients and healt hy subjects, and whether there is a pattern in any of the differences that may be found. We included 17 studies and calculated the weighted mean preva lence of 30 neurological signs. The prevalence of most signs appears to be si,significantly different between schizophrenia patients and normal contro ls, but there are fewer differences between schizophrenia and mood-disorder patients. Several signs - poor stereognosis and rhythm tapping - are even more prevalent in mood-disorder patients than in schizophrenia patients. On ly lack of extinction, dysdiadochokinesia, poor tandem walk, finger-thumb-o pposition and articulation are significantly more prevalent in schizophreni a compared to mood-disorder patients. Impaired motor coordination seems mos t specific to schizophrenia. The discriminating power of motor sequencing s till needs to be studied. So far, there is no evidence of a clearly interpr etable pattern of neurological signs distinguishing schizophrenia patients from mood-disorder patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.