Movement disorder and sensorimotor abnormalities in schizophrenia and other psychoses - European consensus on assessment and perspectives

Over the last three decades, movement disorder as well as sensorimotor and psychomotor functioning in schizophrenia (SZ) and other psychoses has gained greater scientific and clinical relevance as an intrinsic component of the disease process of psychotic illness; this extends to early psychosis prediction, early detection of motor side effects of antipsychotic medication, clinical outcome monitoring, treatment of psychomotor syndromes (e.g. catatonia), and identification of new targets for non-invasive brain stimulation. In 2017, a systematic cooperation between working groups interested in movement disorder and sensorimotor/psychomotor functioning in psychoses was initiated across European universities. As a first step, the members of this group would like to introduce and define the theoretical aspects of the sensorimotor domain in SZ and other psychoses. This consensus paper is based on a synthesis of scientific evidence, good clinical practice and expert opinions that were discussed during recent conferences hosted by national and international psychiatric associations. While reviewing and discussing the recent theoretical and experimental work on neural mechanisms and clinical implications of sensorimotor behavior, we here seek to define the key principles and elements of research on movement disorder and sensorimotor/psychomotor functioning in psychotic illness. Finally, the members of this European group anticipate that this consensus paper will stimulate further multimodal and prospective studies on hypo- and hyperkinetic movement disorders and sensorimotor/psychomotor functioning in SZ and other psychotic disorders.