Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study
IntroductionMotor symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and have multiple presentations, one of which is psychomotor slowing. Understanding the neural basis of psychomotor slowing may help improve future therapies in schizophrenia. Here, we performed task-fMRI using a finger-tapping t...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| author | Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Marc O. Zindel Niluja Nadesalingam Niluja Nadesalingam Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Alexandra Kyrou Alexandra Kyrou Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Stephanie Lefebvre Stephanie Lefebvre Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther |
| author_facet | Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Marc O. Zindel Niluja Nadesalingam Niluja Nadesalingam Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Alexandra Kyrou Alexandra Kyrou Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Stephanie Lefebvre Stephanie Lefebvre Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther |
| author_sort | Florian Wüthrich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionMotor symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and have multiple presentations, one of which is psychomotor slowing. Understanding the neural basis of psychomotor slowing may help improve future therapies in schizophrenia. Here, we performed task-fMRI using a finger-tapping task in slowed patients.MethodsThe study included 36 patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing (Salpêtrière-Retardation-Rating-Scale-Score (SRRS) >15), 11 non-slowed patients with schizophrenia, and 33 healthy controls who successfully performed a motor task during fMRI, with four conditions: paced and fast thumb-index finger tapping and thumb alternating finger opposition. The performance was videotaped and taps were counted. We compared task-related neural substrates between groups, task complexity and movement onset.ResultsSlowed patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower tapping speed than controls in both unpaced conditions (Δ=-.80 (CI=-1.46; -.14)taps/s, p=.019; Δ=-.80 (CI=-1.32; -.28)taps/s, p=.003) while non-slowed patients had a tapping speed between the other two groups.DiscussionIn both task complexity and movement onset factor levels, all the groups activated sensorimotor areas. Slowed patients had no regulation of the task-dependent cerebellar involvement while showing insufficient deactivation of the SPL, pointing to altered recruitment of neural resources in response to motor demands in schizophrenia especially when associated with psychomotor slowing. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-538aeeef415742228d386d19f20fc4192025-08-20T02:29:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-04-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15391121539112Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI studyFlorian Wüthrich0Florian Wüthrich1Florian Wüthrich2Marc O. Zindel3Niluja Nadesalingam4Niluja Nadesalingam5Melanie G. Nuoffer6Melanie G. Nuoffer7Melanie G. Nuoffer8Alexandra Kyrou9Alexandra Kyrou10Jessica A. Bernard11Jessica A. Bernard12Jessica A. Bernard13Stewart A. Shankman14Stewart A. Shankman15Stewart A. Shankman16Vijay A. Mittal17Vijay A. Mittal18Vijay A. Mittal19Vijay A. Mittal20Vijay A. Mittal21Vijay A. Mittal22Stephanie Lefebvre23Stephanie Lefebvre24Sebastian Walther25Sebastian Walther26Sebastian Walther27Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, SwitzerlandUniversity Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, SwitzerlandGraduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, SwitzerlandGraduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College, Station, TX, United StatesTexas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College, Station, TX, United StatesInstitute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United StatesInstitute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesMedical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesInstitute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United StatesInstitute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesMedical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States0Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States1Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States2Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandTranslational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland3Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, GermanyIntroductionMotor symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and have multiple presentations, one of which is psychomotor slowing. Understanding the neural basis of psychomotor slowing may help improve future therapies in schizophrenia. Here, we performed task-fMRI using a finger-tapping task in slowed patients.MethodsThe study included 36 patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing (Salpêtrière-Retardation-Rating-Scale-Score (SRRS) >15), 11 non-slowed patients with schizophrenia, and 33 healthy controls who successfully performed a motor task during fMRI, with four conditions: paced and fast thumb-index finger tapping and thumb alternating finger opposition. The performance was videotaped and taps were counted. We compared task-related neural substrates between groups, task complexity and movement onset.ResultsSlowed patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower tapping speed than controls in both unpaced conditions (Δ=-.80 (CI=-1.46; -.14)taps/s, p=.019; Δ=-.80 (CI=-1.32; -.28)taps/s, p=.003) while non-slowed patients had a tapping speed between the other two groups.DiscussionIn both task complexity and movement onset factor levels, all the groups activated sensorimotor areas. Slowed patients had no regulation of the task-dependent cerebellar involvement while showing insufficient deactivation of the SPL, pointing to altered recruitment of neural resources in response to motor demands in schizophrenia especially when associated with psychomotor slowing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1539112/fullschizophreniapsychosisfMRItask-fMRIfinger-tappingpsychomotor slowing |
| spellingShingle | Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Florian Wüthrich Marc O. Zindel Niluja Nadesalingam Niluja Nadesalingam Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Melanie G. Nuoffer Alexandra Kyrou Alexandra Kyrou Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Jessica A. Bernard Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Stewart A. Shankman Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Vijay A. Mittal Stephanie Lefebvre Stephanie Lefebvre Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther Sebastian Walther Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study Frontiers in Psychiatry schizophrenia psychosis fMRI task-fMRI finger-tapping psychomotor slowing |
| title | Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study |
| title_full | Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study |
| title_fullStr | Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study |
| title_short | Reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing: an exploratory fMRI study |
| title_sort | reduced finger tapping speed in patients with schizophrenia and psychomotor slowing an exploratory fmri study |
| topic | schizophrenia psychosis fMRI task-fMRI finger-tapping psychomotor slowing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1539112/full |
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