Spontaneous Abnormal Involuntary Movements in First-Episode Schizophrenia and Schizophreniform Disorder: Baseline Rate in a Group of Patients From an Irish Catchment Area

Abstract

Spontaneous abnormal involuntary movements were evident among a proportion of patients with first-episode schizophrenia or schizophreniform psychosis at baseline presentation and were associated with reduced educational attainment. This finding supports previous suggestions that abnormal involuntary movements in schizophrenia may be related to the pathophysiology of the illness and therefore cannot be attributed entirely to the adverse effects of neuroleptic medication.