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S. GHERARDELLI, G. BERSANI - Vol. 6, Giugno 2000, num.2

Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Riassunto Indice

"Neurological Soft Signs" e variabili cliniche nella schizofrenia
"Neurological Soft Signs" and clinical variables in schizophrenia

S. GHERARDELLI, G. BERSANI

III Clinica Psichiatrica,
Università di Roma "La Sapienza"

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are present in several psychiatric disorders but they are, on a clinical level, significantly prevalent and more severe in schizophrenic patients than in healthy as well as in pathological control groups. In schizophrenia a significant association is found between NSS and negative symptomatology, chronic illness, cognitive impairment, family history for psychiatric illness and obstetric complications.

NSS in schizophrenia are reported, by many authors, in chronic and acute, treated or drug-free or first episode patients and they are considered clinical neurodysfunctional correlates of illness. They may represent subtle signs of diffuse brain pathology (Heinrichs and Buchanan 1988) non-localizable. At present, the availability of sophisticated techniques of structural and functional brain imaging stimulates research on neurological impairment in schizophrenia but the significance of NSS is still poorly understood and, furthermore, partially obscured by methodological problems.

This review article summarises the literature on neurological "soft signs" in schizophrenia considering clinical findings, etiological and demographic features, methodological issues and the possible role of neuroleptic treatments.