A preliminary study on similarities and dissimilarities of Neurological Soft Signs in schizophrenic and obsessive-compulsive disorders suggests a common maldevelopmental model

Aim. Neurological Soft Signs (NSS) represent minor neurological signs related to non-specific cerebral alterations. They have been documented in many psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia (SCZ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Aim of this study was to determine and compare the incidence and severity of NSS in patients with SCZ, in patients with OCD, and healthy control subjects (HCs). Methods. Using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES), this study investigated NSS in 15 SCZ patients, 14 OCD patients, and 15 HCs. PANSS and Y-BOCS were used to evaluate clinical picture in both groups. Results. Patients with SCZ showed significantly higher scores compared to HCs in the NES total and each of the three NES subscales (Integrative Sensory Function, Motor Coordination, and Sequencing of Complex Motor Acts). Patients with OCD also showed significantly higher scores compared to HCs in the NES total, Motor Coordination and Sequencing of Complex Motor Acts, but not in Integrative Sensory Function. No significant differences emerged in the NES total and the various subscales scores between the two patients’ groups. Conclusions. Our results seem to confirm the presence of NSS in both SCZ and OCD. The different types of NSS presented by the two patients’ groups versus HCs further supports the findings of widespread cerebral alterations in SCZ, on the other hand, with a preferential involvement of prefrontal and frontal cortex in OCD.