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Driving skills in unmedicated first- and recurrent-episode schizophrenic patients

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Abstract

The present study was designed to examine driving skills according to regulations of the German guidelines for road and traffic safety in unmedicated schizophrenic inpatients. A total of 13 first-episode (FES) and 13 recurrent-episode (RES) schizophrenic inpatients were included in the analysis and compared with a group of 20 healthy controls (HC). Data were collected with the computerised Wiener Testsystem measuring visual perception, reactivity and stress tolerance, concentration and vigilance. Analysis of data indicates that a great proportion (58 %) of schizophrenic patients were impaired in psychomotor functions related to driving skills. FES and RES significantly differed with respect to driving ability with a greater proportion in the FES (38 %) showing severe impairments when compared with RES (25 %). Differences with respect to HC performance were most pronounced in concentration and for the FES additionally in visual perception. Analysis of our data indicates that a great proportion of schizophrenic patients are impaired in psychomotor functions related to driving skills that cannot be attributed to adverse side effects of psychopharmacological treatment. Besides, we cannot confirm a chronical decline of psychomotor functions related to driving skills at least in the early course of schizophrenic illness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany

    Felix M. Segmiller, Gerd Laux, N. Nedopil, Ulrich Palm, Katharina Furjanic, Peter Zwanzger & Alexander Brunnauer

  2. Department of Neuropsychology, Psychiatric Clinic, kbo Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, 83512, Wasserburg/Inn, Germany

    Verena Buschert, Peter Zwanzger & Alexander Brunnauer

  3. Institute for Psychological Medicine (IPM), Haag i. OB, Germany

    Gerd Laux & Alexander Brunnauer

Authors
  1. Felix M. Segmiller
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  2. Verena Buschert
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  3. Gerd Laux
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  4. N. Nedopil
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  5. Ulrich Palm
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  6. Katharina Furjanic
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  8. Alexander Brunnauer
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Correspondence to Felix M. Segmiller.

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Segmiller, F.M., Buschert, V., Laux, G. et al. Driving skills in unmedicated first- and recurrent-episode schizophrenic patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 267, 83–88 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0647-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0647-4

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