Tehran University Medical Journal

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Schizophrenia is one of the most important and disabling mental disorders in the world. Males and females are equally affected. Diagnosis is a very difficult problem in this disorder. Because the diagnostic systems such as ICD-10 and DSM-IV are mainly subjective, they are not valid and reliable. Essentially, in the future, we will need to more objective criteria in psychiatry especially in diagnosis of schizophrenia. Neurological soft signs are an example of these objective criteria. In this study we evaluated the prevalence of neurological soft signs in schizophrenic patients and compared it with the prevalence of these signs in other psychotic patients (except mood disorders with psychotic features) and normal subjects.
Methods: We compared the neurological soft signs (sensory motor integration, motor. Coordination, consequent complex motor acts, primary reflexes, and eye movements) in 30 schizophrenic patients, 30 other psychotic patients (other than mood disorders with psychotic features) and 30 normal subjects. Diagnosis of schizophrenia and also other psychoses were based on DSM-IN criteria. Normal subjects have been selected form the staff of Roozbeh hospital randomly.
Results: The difference between the means of motor coordination subscale of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (other than mood disorders with psychotic features) were significant (P value < 0.04). There were no significant differences between the means of other subscales of neurological soft signs in two groups of patients.
Conclusion: There are some disturbances of motor coordination subscale of neurological soft signs in patients with schizophrenia. It seems that, these disturbances are evidence of involvements of basal ganglia, motor cerebral cortex, and cerebellum. So it may be suggested that motor coordination as a marker can be used in differentiation between the schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

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Background: Recently, many cases diagnosed as pediatric autoimmune neuropsy-chiatric disorders associated with group A beta hemolytic streptococcus infection (PANDAS) due to production of autoimmune antibodies. Object of this study was comparison the titer of antibodies against group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (ASOT, Anti-DNase B, and Anti streptokinase) between children with movement disorders (tic and tourett's disorders pediatric autoimmune psychiatric disorders) and healthy control.
Methods: A cross sectional/ cases control study in pediatric neuropsychology ward and clinics in two referral hospitals (Rasoul & Aliasghar) affiliated by IUMS had done in Tehran, Iran (2008-2010). We selected 53 children with tic disorder and 76 healthy controls (age matched children). The antibody titers (IU/ml) in their area were compared and analyzed statistically. The area under ROC, sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of tests calculated.
Results: Age of cases was between 4-16 years. All antibody titers had significant difference between two groups (p<0.0001 p=0.05 p=0.002 for ASOT, Anti-DNase and Antihyaloronidase respectively). ASOT (cut off level> 200IU/ml) had 75% sensitivity 84% specificity and 80% PPV Anti- streptokinase (cut off level> 332IU/ml) had 34% sensitivity 85% specificity, and 90% PPV Anti-DNase (cut off level> 140IU/ml) had 70% sensitivity 99% specificity and PPV 90%.
Conclusion: Patients with tic disorder had a significant high antibody titer against streptococcal infection in comparison with healthy children. It presents possible role for streptococcal infection in tic disorders. Treatment of streptococcal infection is achievable by using of long acting Penicillin in our country. Use of aggressive treatment like plasmaphresis etc needs future RCT studies.