{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T14:19:42Z","timestamp":1788013182282,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Neurological soft signs (NSS), as subtle, nonlocalising neurological abnormalities, are considered as the potential markers of psychosis. However, comparative studies of antipsychotic-na\u00efve patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and first degree relatives (FDRs) are uncommon. We compared the prevalence and pattern of NSS in FEPs, their healthy FDRs and a healthy non-relatives\u2019 control group (HC), highlighted the relationship between NSS and psychopathology and proposed cut-off scores for prevalence studies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Materials and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Two hundred and two participants per group were recruited. The FEPs were consecutive attendees; FDRs were accompanying caregivers; while the HC were from hospital staff. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Neurological Evaluation Scale were used to assess psychopathology dimensions and NSS, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Using an item score of two (\u2018substantial impairment\u2019), the prevalence of at least one NSS was: 91.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.7%\u201394.9%), 16.8% (95% CI: 11.8%\u201322.7%) and 6.5% (95% CI: 3.5%\u201310.9%), respectively, for FEP, FDRs and HC. FEPs were impaired in a broad range of signs. The noteworthy relationships were as follows: (i) a significant correlation between the negative symptoms\u2019 dimension versus number of NSS (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">r<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.4), and NSS total score (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">r<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.3), (ii) the anxiety\/depression dimension correlated negatively with number of NSS (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">r<\/jats:italic>\n                      = \u22120.3) and (iii) NSS cut across psychosis categories. We propose a cut-off score of \u2265 4 for the number of signs signifying probable impairment.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings indicate that, subject to further studies, NSS could be regarded as a broader phenotype of neurologic dysfunction associated with psychosis proness.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/npmj.npmj_77_23","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,27]],"date-time":"2023-08-27T23:52:59Z","timestamp":1693180379000},"page":"183-192","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Neurological Soft Signs in First Episode Psychosis among Psychiatric Hospital Patients and its Relationship with Dimensions of Psychopathology: A Comparative Study"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Obumneme Kenechukwu","family":"Nwiyi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jude Uzoma","family":"Ohaeri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed Said","family":"Jidda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health, College of Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ishiak Abioda","family":"Danjuma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Services, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Justus Uchenna","family":"Onu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sunday Onyemaechi","family":"Oriji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard","family":"Uwakwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"R2-20240908","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1038\/s41537-022-00245-9","article-title":"The neural substrates of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia:A systematic review","volume":"8","author":"Samson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Schizophrenia (Heidelb)"},{"key":"R3-20240908","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.1093\/schbul\/sbp011","article-title":"Neurological soft signs in schizophrenia:A meta-analysis","volume":"36","author":"Chan","year":"2010","journal-title":"Schizophr Bull"},{"key":"R4-20240908","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"957","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2008.01.005","article-title":"Neurological soft signs as candidate endophenotypes for schizophrenia:A shooting star or a Northern star?","volume":"32","author":"Chan","year":"2008","journal-title":"Neurosci Biobehav Rev"},{"key":"R5-20240908","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1016\/j.schres.2017.01.034","article-title":"Neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenia:State- and trait-related relationships to psychopathology, cognition and antipsychotic medication effects","volume":"188","author":"Emsley","year":"2017","journal-title":"Schizophr Res"},{"key":"R6-20240908","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1097\/00005053-199308000-00007","article-title":"Long-term outcome of treated schizophrenia in a Nigerian cohort. 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