Neurological soft signs

Bersani G, Gherardelli S, Clemente R, Di Giannantonio M, Grilli A, Conti CM, Exton MS, Conti P, Doyle R, Pancheri P. Neurologic soft signs in schizophrenic patients treated with conventional and atypical antipsychotics. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2005 25 372-5. 

Studies have shown an association between umbilical blood lead concentration under 10 gg/dL and reduced head circumference (Al-Saleh et al. 2008b), effects on infant attention (Plusquellec et al. 2007), abnormal reflexes and abnormal results on neurologic soft signs scales (Emhart et al. 1986), reduced body-weight gain (Sanin et al. 2001), and decreased body-mass index (NTP 2012). Deficits in visual function in children were also seen at umbihcal blood lead levels as low as 10.5 gg/dL (Rothenberg et al. 2002). Increased maternal... 

Abbreviations, Neurological findings Abnormal reflexes the Abnormal Reflexes Scale of the Brazelton Scales Neuro SS The Neurological Soft Signs Scale of the Graham/Rosenblith Examination Muscle tonus the Muscle Tonus Scale of the Graham/Rosenblith Examination. 

Emhart ei al (1986) have noted the same effect. They show a significant UC effect upon neurological soft signs, using the Graham-Rosenblith Scale in multivariate analyses, but no effect of maternal lead at birth. Since the correlation between maternal and UC lead was high, the authors suggested that a factor such as foetal stress could lead both to increased foetal... 

There is also evidence that the mothers of schizophrenics have a higher incidence of obstetric complications. Furthermore, schizophrenics have more soft neurological signs and developmental anomalies associated with fetal damage. All these complications occur more frequently in schizophrenics with enlarged ventricles. 

Attention Deficit Disorder is thought to have a neurological basis, as implied in the name "minimal brain dysfunction." That name was dropped because the exact "dysfunction" could not be proven and "soft" (equivocal) neurological signs are not... 

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