© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Clinical significance of neurological abnormalities in psychosis
Marco M. Picchioni is a clinical senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, and an honorary consultant forensic psychiatrist at St Andrew’s Hospital, Northampton. His research interests focus on biological endophenotype markers for schizophrenia and he works primarily on the Maudsley Twin Study of Schizophrenia. Paola Dazzan is a clinical senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, and an honorary consultant psychiatrist in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She has an interest in the biological determinants of clinical course and outcome in early psychosis. She is particularly interested in the role of brain structure and function in psychosis.
Correspondence: Correspondence Dr P. Dazzan, Division of Psychological Medicine, PO40, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: paola.dazzan{at}kcl.ac.uk
The neurological deficits in sensory and motor function in schizophrenia have been described using a confusing variety of terms, reflecting their uncertain relevance and significance to psychosis. In this article we explore the nature of neurological abnormalities in psychosis, describe their assessment and suggest their potential relevance for clinician and patient. We propose that the assessment of neurological abnormalities and extrapyramidal side-effects should figure in the assessment of any patient with psychosis, particularly at illness onset. Furthermore, we suggest that neurological abnormalities can inform prognostic predictions and help to identify patients with more complex future care needs.