The significance of severity of neurologic symptoms in differential diagnostics of schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder in children

The aim of the study was to investigate neurologic symptoms and to determine differential-diagnostic significance/value of their severity in schizotypal disorder and at various stages of schizophrenia in children.

Material and methods: A total of 80 children at the age of 5–10 years were included in the study. The children were observed for 1–5 years. The first group consisted of 38 patients with the diagnosis: schizophrenia, children’s type (F20.8xx3 according to ICD-10). The second group included 42 children with the diagnosis: schizotypal disorder (F.21 according to ICD-10). Methods of psychopatho-logical, pathopsychological and neurologic examination, as well as follow-up and statistical methods of investigation were used.

Results and conclusion: In children of both groups a wide range of neurologic symptoms was revealed, the diffuseness and topical shapelessness of which point out disintegration of multilevel system of motor analyzer. No topical differences of neurologic symptoms between the two groups were detected, while their intensity and frequency correlate both with the severity of illness and the stage of the stage of the disease (exacerbation/remission). In schizotypal disorder neurologic impairments are found reliably more seldom, than in schizophrenia, and the more expressed is acuteness of mental disorders, the more neurologic symptoms are noticed. The revealed neurologic symptoms may be considered as topical markers of morphological changes of the brain and the dynamics of endogenous process. Transitory and labile character of these symptoms point out the insufficiency of neuromediator mechanisms against the background of deficiency of extrapyramidal and cortical regulation outside the exacerbation of process.

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