Prevalence of neurological "soft signs' in affective disorder and their correlation with response to treatment

A prospective study was undertaken in fifty patients who were diagnosed to have major affective disorder, to assess the prevalence of neurological soft signs, their localization and their correlation with response to treatment. Neurological soft signs have been shown to be very common in major affective disorder. They were mainly localized in the temporal and parietal lobes. There was no difference between depressed and manic patients. There was no correlation between the presence of soft signs and response to treatment. These soft signs may be nonspecific signs of psychosis. It has not been possible to assess whether neuroleptic use can explain the presence of neurological soft signs by the present study.