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. 2022 Nov 15;10(11):2939.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10112939.

The Impact of Antipsychotic Treatment on Neurological Soft Signs in Patients with Predominantly Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Cristian Petrescu  1   2 , Ioana R Papacocea  3 , Crisanda Vilciu  4   5 , Oana A Mihalache  1   5 , Diana M Vlad  4   5 , Gabriela Marian  6   7 , Brindusa E Focseneanu  2   7 , Cristian T Sima  2 , Constantin A Ciobanu  8 , Sorin Riga  9   10 , Adela M Ciobanu  1   2
Affiliations

The Impact of Antipsychotic Treatment on Neurological Soft Signs in Patients with Predominantly Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Cristian Petrescu et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a complex and incompletely elucidated pathology that affects sensorimotor function and also produces numerous therapeutic challenges. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to identify the profile of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with predominantly negative symptoms of schizophrenia (PNS) compared with patients with schizophrenia who do not present a predominance of negative symptoms (NPNS) and also to objectify the impact of treatment on the neurological function of these patients. Ninety-nine (n = 99; 56 females and 43 males) patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-V were included; these patients were undergoing antipsychotic (4 typical antipsychotics, 86 atypical antipsychotics, and 9 combinations of two atypical antipsychotics) or anticholinergic treatment (24 out of 99) at the time of evaluation, and the PANSS was used to identify the patients with predominantly negative symptoms (n = 39), the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was used for the evaluation of neurological soft signs (NSS), and the SAS was used for the objectification of the extrapyramidal side effects induced by the neuroleptic treatment, which was converted to chlorpromazine equivalents (CPZE). The study's main finding was that, although the daily dose of CPZE did not represent a statistically significant variable, in terms of neurological soft signs, patients with PNS had higher rates of NSS.

Keywords: antipsychotics; neurological abnormalities; neurological soft signs; schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript, and they confirm that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Normal Q-Q Plot for NES Model Residuals.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Density Plot For NES Model Residuals.
Figure A3
Figure A3
Residual vs. Fitted For MSAS Model.
Figure A4
Figure A4
Normal Q-Q Plot for MSAS Model Residuals.
Figure A5
Figure A5
Density Plot For MSAS Model Residuals.
Figure A6
Figure A6
Residual vs. Fitted For NES Model.
Figure A7
Figure A7
NES vs. AGE.
Figure A8
Figure A8
PANSS—total vs. NES—total.
Figure A9
Figure A9
PANSS—total vs. NES—total.
Figure A10
Figure A10
CPZE vs. NES.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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