Study of the neurologic soft signs in a sample of obsessive compulsive patients and its correlation with the severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms and the degree of insight

ABSTRACT

Is to detect the presence of Neurologic Soft Signs [NSS] in a group of patients having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD] and its correlation to the clinical presentation of OC symptoms and the degree of insight. 50 patients with OCD and 50 healthy subjects were assessed for the presence of NSSs by using physical and neurological examination of soft signs scale [PANESS]. In the patients group, Yale-Brown OC scale [Y-BOCS], and scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder will be used to evaluate the severity of OC symptoms and the degree of insight. The total mean NSS score was significantly higher in patient group compared to control group [P=0.000] as regard the following items of PANESS [balance, motor movement, and graphesthesia]. The total NSS score was positively correlated with total OC symptoms score and duration of illness. Also, patients with poor insight had a significantly higher soft sign mean score than patients with good insight. Neurological soft signs are likely to relate to both structural and functional brain abnormalities that the affected regions of the brain for NSS probably resemble those in OCD, and that NSSs may be followed by the symptoms of OCD