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Neurological soft signs as the stroke risk in sickle cell disease

Ismet Melek1, Ferit Akgul, Taskin Duman

  • 1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Nöroloji ABD. 31100, Antakya, Turkey. ismetmelek@yahoo.com

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
|May 19, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are elevated in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients with silent cerebral infarction. High NSS scores may help identify SCD patients at increased risk for stroke.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Hematology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent hemoglobinopathy.
  • Silent cerebral infarction (SCI) in SCD patients is a known risk factor for clinical stroke.
  • Neurological soft signs (NSS) reflect subtle sensorimotor and coordination deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of SCI on NSS in SCD patients.
  • To evaluate NSS as a potential clinical tool for stroke risk stratification in SCD.

Main Methods:

  • Cerebral MRI was used to identify SCI in 59 SCD patients and 28 controls.
  • NSS were assessed in all participants.
  • Comparison of NSS scores between SCD patients with and without SCI, and healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • SCD patients with SCI exhibited significantly higher NSS scores compared to those without SCI and controls (p < 0.05).
  • No significant difference in NSS scores was observed between SCD patients without SCI and healthy controls.
  • Elevated NSS scores are indicative of SCI in SCD.

Conclusions:

  • High NSS scores are a significant finding for diagnosing SCI in SCD.
  • NSS can provide valuable additional information for identifying stroke risk in SCD patients with SCI.

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