S. Gherardelli, L. Ramieri, I. Taddei, G. Bersani - Vol. 6, Dicembre 2000, num.4
Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Riassunto Indice
"Neurological Soft Signs" in rapporto
a frequenza e gravità di complicanze ostetriche in pazienti schizofrenici
maschi
"Neurological soft signs" and their relationship to frequency
and severity of obstetric complications in male schizophrenic patients
Background and aimsThe occurrence of obstetric complication (OCs) during pregnancy and/or delivery is frequently present in the history of schizophrenic patients, particularly males. The association between OCs and neurological alterations is confirmed by several studies which reported higher frequency of neurological soft signs (NSS) in schizophrenic patients, compared to normal or other psychiatric controls with no schizophrenic spectrum disorder. Aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between NSS and OC history in a male schizophrenic sample.
Methods
An Italian version of Buchanan and Heinrichs’ (1989) Neurological Evaluation
Scale (NES) has been used to assess NSS in a sample of 32 DSM-IV male schizophrenic
patients. To assess the presence and severity of OCs during pregnancy and/or
delivery, Lewis’s Obstetric Complication Scale (OCS) (1987) and the Midwife
Protocol (MP) of Parnas et al. (1982) have been used.
Results
A higher frequency of the items "mirror movements" at left and "finger-nose
opposition" at left was found in the subgroup of patients without OCs.
A higher frequency of the item "left-handedness" emerged in the
subgroup with definite and/or equivocal presence of OCs. A significant correlation
was also found between MP total score and the item "finger-nose opposition"
at left.
Conclusions
The predominance of left-handedness in the group with OC history suggests
a probable effect of OCs on brain circuitry organization. Overall, an indirect
relationship between OCs and NSS in male schizophrenic subjects emerged.