NEUROLOGICAL SOFT SIGNS IN CHILDHOOD DO NOT PREDICT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION IN ADULTHOOD

So-called ''soft signs,'' such as inadequacies of balance and coordination, and difficulties in the execution of fine-motor imitative movements, have been used as nonspecific markers of subclinical neurological deficits, but their prognostic utility has not been empirically established. Using a long-term longitudinal design and an extensive set of cognitive and behavioral outcome variables, including comprehensive neuropsychological testing, we studied 38 male subjects who were evaluated as children for problems with overactivity, aggression, academic performance, or a combination of these. Five-point ratings of the presence and severity of soft signs from 1 (no indication) to 5 (very strong indication) obtained at the childhood assessment were used to divide the subjects into low (score less than or equal to 2) and high (score >2) soft-sign groups. The subjects were evaluated comprehensively as adults (21 to 23 years old) with respect to psychiatric, behavioral, educational, vocational, intellectual, and neuropsychological outcome. Comparisons of the groups with variables from each of these areas revealed no significant differences on any of the measures. The findings provide no support for the use of soft signs as prognosticators of adult status on psychological and neuropsychological variables.