title: Neurological abnormalities and neurocognitive functions in healthy elder people: a structural equation modeling analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neurological abnormalities have been reported in normal aging population. However, most of them were limited to extrapyramidal signs and soft signs such as motor coordination and sensory integration have received much less attention. Very little is known about the relationship between neurological soft signs and neurocognitive function in healthy elder people. The current study aimed to examine the underlying relationships between neurological soft signs and neurocognition in a group of healthy elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty healthy elderly participated in the current study. Neurological soft signs were evaluated with the subscales of Cambridge Neurological Inventory. A set of neurocognitive tests was also administered to all the participants. Structural equation modeling was adopted to examine the underlying relationship between neurological soft signs and neurocognition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the male and female elder people in neurocognitive function performances and neurological soft signs. The model fitted well in the elderly and indicated the moderate associations between neurological soft signs and neurocognition, specifically verbal memory, visual memory and working memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The neurological soft signs are more or less statistically equivalent to capture the similar information done by conventional neurocognitive function tests in the elderly. The implication of these findings may serve as a potential neurological marker for the early detection of pathological aging diseases or related mental status such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. rckchan@psych.ac.cn
authors.forename: Raymond C K
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hui-jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Han-hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yu-na
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dazzan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests