Neurological Soft Signs (NSS) in Census-Based, Decade-Adjusted Healthy Adults, 20 to >70 Years of Age

Abstract

Neurological soft signs (NSS) represent minor neurological features and have been widely studied in psychiatric disease. The assessment is easily performed. Quantity and quality may provide useful information concerning the disease course. Mostly, NSS scores differ significantly between patients and controls. However, literature does not give reference values. In this pilot study, we recruited 120 healthy women and men to build a cross-sectional, census-based sample of healthy individuals, aged 20 to >70 years, subdivided in 10-year blocks for a close approach to the human lifeline. Testing for NSS and neurocognitive functioning was performed following the exclusion of mental and severe physical illness. NSS scores increased significantly between ages 50+ and 60+, which was primarily accountable to motor signs. Gender and cognitive functioning were not related to changes of scores. Although the number of individuals is small, study results may lay a foundation for further validation of NSS in healthy individuals.

The Impact of Antipsychotic Treatment on Neurological Soft Signs in Patients with Predominantly Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

“…To date, numerous studies [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ] have concluded that neurological soft signs (NSS) are found in variable proportions in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy subjects or first-degree relatives and are associated with an early age of onset [ 6 , 11 ], a chronic course of illness [ 6 , 11 , 13 , 14 ], negative symptoms [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], lower IQ, lower education achievements, and a higher score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The presence of NSS translates into defects in sensory integration (SI), motor coordination (MC), integrative sensory functioning, and complex motor sequencing [ 18 ].…”

Childhood trauma, neurological soft signs, and their relationship in obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…In this study, NSSs that positively correlated with age in both healthy and OCD groups were motor coordination, sensory integration, and NES total scores. Bachmann et al (48) found that worsening motor function and sensory integration yielded the most important share of overall NSS increase between the ages of 50 and 60 years. Also, there is evidence that NSSs reduce toward late childhood and adolescence, and thus persistence of NSSs into later childhood can be a marker for atypical neurological function.…”