Soft neurological signs do not increase with age in euthymic bipolar subjects.
BACKGROUND
Soft neurological signs (SNS) are found to be in excess in bipolar disorder (BD). This paper explores changes in SNS with ageing to ascertain whether BD is associated with a progressive neurological decline or a relatively fixed, persistent deficit.


METHODS
53 euthymic BD subjects and controls, aged 15-55 years, were for examined for the presence of SNS which were rated using a modified Kolakowska battery.


RESULTS
In controls, SNS scores increased slowly and significantly with age whereas in BD subjects high scores occurred throughout the age range and were not age dependent. This confirms and extends an earlier, smaller, study which is reanalysed.


CONCLUSIONS
The study design was cross-sectional whereas a longitudinal study would better reveal changes in soft signs with ageing.


CONCLUSIONS
The studies suggest strongly that BD is accompanied by a significant neurobiological deficit which may progress only minimally with increasing age.
Goswami
Utpal
U
Department of Psychiatry, West Park Hospital, Darlington, Co. Durham, DL2 2TS, UK.
Gulrajani
Chinmoy
C
Varma
Anjali
A
Sharma
Aditya
A
Ferrier
Ian Nicol
IN
Young
Allan H
AH
Moore
P Brian
PB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values