Kinematic parameters of throwing performance in patients with schizophrenia using a markerless motion capture system

Abstract

Motor dysfunction is consistently reported but understudied in schizophrenia. It has been hypothesized that this abnormality may reflect a neuro-developmental disorder underlying this illness. The main goal of this study was to analyze movement patterns used by participants with schizophrenia and healthy controls during overarm throwing performance, using a markerless motion capture system. Thirteen schizophrenia patients and 16 healthy control patients performed the overarm throwing task in a markerless motion capture system. Participants were also examined for the presence of motor neurological soft signs (mNSS) using the Brief Motor Scale. Schizophrenia patients demonstrated a less developed movement pattern with low individualization of components compared to healthy controls. The schizophrenia group also displayed a higher incidence of mNSS. The presence of a less mature movement pattern can be an indicator of neuro-immaturity and a marker for atypical neurological development in schizophrenia. Our findings support the understanding of motor dysfunction as an intrinsic part of the disorder of schizophrenia.

• Markerless motion analysis
• motor abnormalities
• motor immaturity
• neurological soft signs
• schizophrenia

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

This study was supported by a grant from the FEDER via Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade—COMPETE and from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022714 Project and Bolsas de Investigação Científica e Desenvolvimento—Instituto Politécnico do Porto/Banco Santander Project BInt-ICD/IPP-BST/LABRP/01/2013. These funding sources had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit this manuscript for publication.