Neurological soft signs in Nigerian schizophrenics: a controlled study.

The prevalence of neurological soft signs in schizophrenics was compared with that in patients with major affective disorder and in normal subjects. The two patient groups did not differ from one another, but both differed from normal controls in the occurrence of right-left confusion. The paranoid and nonparanoid subtypes of schizophrenia did not differ in the prevalence of neurological soft signs. Schizophrenic patients with or without one sign had similar demographic, clinical and treatment attributes. It is concluded that neurological soft signs are not specific to schizophrenia, but may, in general, reflect the level of obstetric care in a community. However, certain soft signs may be more strongly indicative of neurodysfunction associated with the psychotic state.