Discrete motor and sensory disorders (neurologic soft signs) in the acute course of endogenous psychoses

: Neurological soft signs (NSS) were investigated in 67 patients with DSM-III schizophrenia (remitting course, n = 23, chronic course, n = 27) and affective psychosis (n = 17). Patients were examined on admission, 7 days later and before discharge when being in a stable condition. In all diagnostic groups the NSS scores varied in the clinical course with a significant decline towards discharge. The variation of the NSS in the clinical course was further investigated with respect to psychopathological and clinical variables. Significant correlations between NSS, thought disorders, negative symptoms and a worse premorbid adaptation were found. To characterize NSS more precisely, all subjects executed a battery of standard neuropsychological tests on discharge. This step revealed significant correlations between NSS, graphomotoric and mnestic performance, the subscale "thought processes" of the Tubinger Luria Christiansen Scale and--to a lower extent--attentional performance. Our study provides two major findings: first, NSS vary in the clinical course and second, NSS are associated with other neuropsychological, such as mnestic and attentional, disorders. Thus, one may hypothesize, that NSS do not only reflect a primary motoric and sensoric deficiency but may be characterized as heterogeneous phenomena which occur frequently in the clinical course of endogenous psychosis.