Neurologic soft signs in Behcet disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology

Background:

• Behcet disease (BD) is associated with a higher prevalence of minor neurologic abnormalities, often termed neurologic soft signs (NSS).
• These subtle neurological deficits may be present even in patients without overt neurological symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess neurologic soft signs (NSS) in Behcet disease (BD) patients lacking neurological symptoms using the Neurologic Evaluation Scale (NES).
• To determine if silent cerebral infarction influences NES scores in BD patients.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 36 BD patients without neurological symptoms and 36 healthy controls were evaluated.
• The Neurologic Evaluation Scale (NES) was employed to assess NSS.
• Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was utilized to identify silent cerebral infarcts.

Main Results:

• BD patients exhibited significantly higher overall NES scores and scores on most subscales compared to controls.
• Specific tests like tandem walk, tremor, and reflex assessments showed significant differences between BD patients and controls.
• No significant differences in NES scores were observed between BD patients with and without silent cerebral infarction.

Conclusions:

• The Neurologic Evaluation Scale (NES) is a valuable tool for identifying subclinical neurological involvement in Behcet disease.
• Early detection of neurological involvement in BD is crucial for patient management.