TY - JOUR
T1 - A quantitative measure of postural sway deficits in schizophrenia
AU - Marvel, Cherie L.
AU - Schwartz, Barbara L.
AU - Rosse, Richard B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was conducted as part of C.L.M.'s dissertation research, and these data were presented at the IXth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, 2003. The authors are very grateful to Amy Drapalski, who graciously assisted with patient recruitment and diagnostic interviews, and to Amy Bastian, who provided advice on the interpretation of these results. The authors also would like to thank Nirav Bigelow, Michael Flaum, Darlene Howard, James Howard, Peter Milev, David Moser, Daniel O'Leary, Ronald Pierson, Chandan Vaidya and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. This research was funded by a pre-doctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health to C.L.M. and by grants from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) to B.L.S. and to Stephen I. Deutsch.
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004/6/1
Y1 - 2004/6/1
N2 - Clinicians rely on observational methods to assess obvious signs of postural abnormalities in schizophrenia, yet subtle signs of postural deficits may go unnoticed. Posture is controlled, in large part, by the cerebellum, which has been implicated in numerous reports of structural and functional deficits in schizophrenia. Given the possibility of an underlying disruption of cerebellar function in schizophrenia, this study used an objective, quantitative measure to assess the magnitude of postural stability in this disorder. A total of 36 schizophrenia patients and 36 non-psychiatric age-matched controls stood on a pressure-sensitive platform that recorded shifts in weight (body sway) through pressure points in the feet. Patients demonstrated more postural sway than did healthy controls (p<0.01). When patients with noticeable signs of tardive dyskinesia were removed from analyses, group differences remained (p<0.01). There was no significant correlation between neuroleptic medication level and degree of postural sway (r=0.16, p=0.37). These results indicate that patients with schizophrenia have subtle, yet quantifiable, disturbances in the control of posture and balance. Quantitative measures of postural sway may provide a more sensitive means of detecting disturbances of movement than do standard clinical observations alone.
AB - Clinicians rely on observational methods to assess obvious signs of postural abnormalities in schizophrenia, yet subtle signs of postural deficits may go unnoticed. Posture is controlled, in large part, by the cerebellum, which has been implicated in numerous reports of structural and functional deficits in schizophrenia. Given the possibility of an underlying disruption of cerebellar function in schizophrenia, this study used an objective, quantitative measure to assess the magnitude of postural stability in this disorder. A total of 36 schizophrenia patients and 36 non-psychiatric age-matched controls stood on a pressure-sensitive platform that recorded shifts in weight (body sway) through pressure points in the feet. Patients demonstrated more postural sway than did healthy controls (p<0.01). When patients with noticeable signs of tardive dyskinesia were removed from analyses, group differences remained (p<0.01). There was no significant correlation between neuroleptic medication level and degree of postural sway (r=0.16, p=0.37). These results indicate that patients with schizophrenia have subtle, yet quantifiable, disturbances in the control of posture and balance. Quantitative measures of postural sway may provide a more sensitive means of detecting disturbances of movement than do standard clinical observations alone.
KW - Balance
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Movement
KW - Posture
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Sway
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U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2003.09.003
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2003.09.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 15099618
AN - SCOPUS:1942440524
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 68
SP - 363
EP - 372
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 2-3
ER -