Abstract
Gait is recognized as a key item related to mental function. Anomalous gait in psychotic individuals has been described for the lower extremities, whereas irregularities for upper body dynamics are not described, explained or verified with unbiased methods. Reduced walking velocity and increased somatic tension defined in this patient category may influence upper body dynamics during gait. The aim of this pilot-study was to describe upper body kinematics and investigate the biomechanical association with walking velocity and muscle tension. Twelve inpatients in a psychiatric ward with first-episode psychosis and 18 healthy control subjects walked at different self-chosen velocities. Movement and walking velocity were registered, and 3D kinematics was analysed for thorax and shoulder joint. Time-synchronized EMG from the trapezius muscle, chosen as indicator for general somatic tension, was analysed for maximal amplitude and variability. Results showed that patients walked with reduced arm swing at the shoulder joint and increased lateral thorax movements. Thorax rotations about the vertical axis, walking velocity and EMG measures were similar in patients and healthy subjects. The present study could not provide a biomechanical explanation for kinematic findings based on walking velocity or somatic tension.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andreasen NC, Paradiso S, O’Leary DS (1998) “Cognitive dysmetria” as an integrative theory of schizophrenia: a dysfunction in cortical-subcortical-cerebellar circuitry? Schizophr Bull 24:203–218
Bachmann S, Bottmer C, Schroder J (2005) Neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenia: a follow-up study. Am J Psychiatry 162:2337–2343. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.12.2337
Braga RJ, Mendlowicz MV, Marrocos RP, Figueira IL (2005) Anxiety disorders in outpatients with schizophrenia: prevalence and impact on the subjective quality of life. J Psychiatr Res 39:409–414. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2004.09.003
Buchanan RW, Heinrichs DW (1989) The neurological evaluation scale (NES): a structured instrument for the assessment of neurological signs in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 27:335–350
Bunkan BH, Ljunggren AE, Opjordsmoen S, Moen O, Friis S (2001) What are the basic dimensions of movements? A psychometric evaluation of the Comprehensive Body Examination III. Nord J Psychiatry 55:33–40. doi:10.1080/080394801750093706
Catlow BJ, Kirstein CL (2007) Cocaine during adolescence enhances dopamine in response to a natural reinforcer. Neurotoxicol Teratol 29:57–65. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2006.11.007
Collins S, Ruina A, Tedrake R, Wisse M (2005) Efficient bipedal robots based on passive-dynamic walkers. Science 307:1082–1085. doi:10.1126/science.1107799
Cortese L, Caligiuri MP, Malla AK, Manchanda R, Takhar J, Haricharan R (2005) Relationship of neuromotor disturbances to psychosis symptoms in first-episode neuroleptic-naive schizophrenia patients. Schizophr Res 75:65–75. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2004.08.003
Dazzan P, Murray RM (2002) Neurological soft signs in first-episode psychosis: a systematic review. Br J Psychiatry Suppl 43:s50–s57
Flaum M, Schultz SK (1996) The core symptoms of schizophrenia. Ann Med 28:525–531
Gao WJ, Goldman-Rakic PS (2003) Selective modulation of excitatory and inhibitory microcircuits by dopamine. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:2836–2841. doi:10.1073/pnas.262796399262796399
Goldstein IB (1965) The relationship of muscle tension and autonomic activity to psychiatric disorders. Psychosom Med 27:39–52
Greenberg BD, Segal DS (1985) Acute and chronic behavioral interactions between phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamine: evidence for a dopaminergic role in some PCP-induced behaviors. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 23:99–105
Hermens H (1999) Seniam: European recommendations for surface electromyography. Roessingh Research and Development, Enschede
Howes OD, Kapur S (2009) The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia: version III–the final common pathway. Schizophr Bull 35:549–562. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbp006
Jahn T, Cohen R, Hubmann W et al (2006a) The brief motor scale (BMS) for the assessment of motor soft signs in schizophrenic psychoses and other psychiatric disorders. Psychiatry Res 142:177–189. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2002.12.002
Jahn T, Hubmann W, Karr M et al (2006b) Motoric neurological soft signs and psychopathological symptoms in schizophrenic psychoses. Psychiatry Res 142:191–199. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2002.12.003
Janno S, Holi M, Tuisku K, Wahlbeck K (2004) Prevalence of neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in chronic schizophrenia inpatients. Am J Psychiatry 161:160–163
Jeon HJ, Cho MJ, Cho SJ et al (2007) Quantitative analysis of ataxic gait in patients with schizophrenia: the influence of age and visual control. Psychiatry Res 152:155–164. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.09.001
Koch G, Ribolsi M, Mori F et al (2008) Connectivity between posterior parietal cortex and ipsilateral motor cortex is altered in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 64:815–819. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.026
Kraepelin E (1919) Dementia praecox. Livingstone, Edinburgh
Lemke MR, Wendorff T, Mieth B, Buhl K, Linnemann M (2000) Spatiotemporal gait patterns during over ground locomotion in major depression compared with healthy controls. J Psychiatr Res 34:277–283
Lund CE, Mortimer AM, Rogers D, McKenna PJ (1991) Motor, volitional and behavioural disorders in schizophrenia. 1: assessment using the modified rogers scale. Br J Psychiatry 158:323–327, 333–326
Lundberg U, Kadefors R, Melin B, Palmerud G, Hassmen P, Engstrom M, Dohns IE (1994) Psychophysiological stress and EMG activity of the trapezius muscle. Int J Behav Med 1:354–370. doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0104_5
McKetin R, McLaren J, Lubman DI, Hides L (2006) The prevalence of psychotic symptoms among methamphetamine users. Addiction 101:1473–1478. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01496.x
Michalak J, Troje NF, Fischer J, Vollmar P, Heidenreich T, Schulte D (2009) Embodiment of sadness and depression–gait patterns associated with dysphoric mood. Psychosom Med 71:580–587. doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181a2515c
Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, Barnes TR, Jones PB, Burke M, Lewis G (2007) Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: a systematic review. Lancet 370:319–328. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61162-3
Pappa S, Dazzan P (2009) Spontaneous movement disorders in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode psychoses: a systematic review. Psychol Med 39:1065–1076. doi:10.1017/S0033291708004716
Pedersen G, Hagtvet KA, Karterud S (2007) Generalizability studies of the global assessment of functioning-split version. Compr Psychiatry 48:88–94. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2006.03.008
Peralta V, Campos MS, De Jalon EG, Cuesta MJ (2010) Motor behavior abnormalities in drug-naive patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Mov Disord 25:1068–1076. doi:10.1002/mds.23050
Pontzer H, Holloway JH, Raichlen DA, Lieberman DE (2009) Control and function of arm swing in human walking and running. J Exp Biol 212:523–534. doi:10.1242/jeb.030478
Putzhammer A, Heindl B, Broll K, Pfeiff L, Perfahl M, Hajak G (2004) Spatial and temporal parameters of gait disturbances in schizophrenic patients. Schizophr Res 69:159–166
Putzhammer A, Perfahl M, Pfeiff L, Hajak G (2005) Gait disturbances in patients with schizophrenia and adaptation to treadmill walking. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 59:303–310. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1819.2005.01375.x
Robertson DG, Dowling JJ (2003) Design and responses of Butterworth and critically damped digital filters. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 13:569–573
Schroder J, Niethammer R, Geider FJ, Reitz C, Binkert M, Jauss M, Sauer H (1991) Neurological soft signs in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 6:25–30
Sharif ZA (1998) Common treatment goals of antipsychotics: acute treatment. J Clin Psychiatry 59(Suppl 19):5–8
Stahl S (2002) Essential psychopharmacology of antipsychotics and mood stabilisers. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK
Strick PL, Dum RP, Fiez JA (2009) Cerebellum and nonmotor function. Annu Rev Neurosci 32:413–434. doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.31.060407.125606
Svehlik M, Zwick EB, Steinwender G et al (2009) Gait analysis in patients with Parkinson’s disease off dopaminergic therapy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 90:1880–1886. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2009.06.017
Thomann PA, Wustenberg T, Santos VD, Bachmann S, Essig M, Schroder J (2009) Neurological soft signs and brain morphology in first-episode schizophrenia. Psychol Med 39:371–379. doi:10.1017/S0033291708003656
Weiden PJ (2007) EPS profiles: the atypical antipsychotics are not all the same. J Psychiatr Pract 13:13–24
Yeadon MR (1990) The simulation of aerial movement–I. The determination of orientation angles from film data. J Biomech 23:59–66
Acknowledgments
Håvard Wuttudal Lorås, Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Physiotherapy, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway is gratefully acknowledged for technical assistance.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stensdotter, A., Pedersen, N., Wanvik, A. et al. Upper body 3-dimensional kinematics during gait in psychotic patients: a pilot-study. Exp Brain Res 221, 393–401 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-012-3184-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-012-3184-7