Motor co-ordination deficits as predictors of schizophrenia among Finnish school children

Abstract

We examined whether children destined to develop schizophrenia in adulthood could be distinguished from their peers on elementary school performance. We used a case-control study design nested within a population-based birth cohort of all individuals born in Helsinki, Finland between 1951 and 1960. Case ascertainment was from three health-care registers, and elementary school records were obtained for 400 children who were diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia in adulthood and 408 controls. We found that children who developed schizophrenia in adulthood performed significantly worse than controls on subjects involving motor co-ordination (sports and handcrafts), between ages 7 and 9. There were no differences between the groups on academic subjects, but cases were significantly more likely to have been referred to a school psychologist. This study indicates that motor co-ordination deficits are a risk factor for adult schizophrenia, and are most evident in early and middle childhood. Contrary to previous work, we did not find evidence of cognitive impairment preceding schizophrenia, but psychological difficulties are present from an early age in children who later develop the disorder.