title: Soft neurological signs do not increase with age in euthymic bipolar subjects.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, West Park Hospital, Darlington, Co. Durham, DL2 2TS, UK.
authors: Utpal
authors: U
authors: Goswami
authors: Chinmoy
authors: C
authors: Gulrajani
authors: Anjali
authors: A
authors: Varma
authors: Aditya
authors: A
authors: Sharma
authors: Ian Nicol
authors: IN
authors: Ferrier
authors: Allan H
authors: AH
authors: Young
authors: P Brian
authors: PB
authors: Moore
mesh_terms: 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