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NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS IN A NORMAL POPULATION
Author(s) -
Skre Håvard
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1972.tb07577.x
Subject(s) - proprioception , population , neurological examination , ageing , psychology , medicine , pediatrics , audiology , demography , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychiatry , environmental health , sociology
The prevalence of neurological signs in the normal population was investigated in order to establish their significance when found in patients. The traditional neurological examination is characterized by the registration of various reflexes, motor and sensory performances, and perceptual functions. An attempt was made to transform neurological information into quantitative units, making it possible to employ statistical methods. This system was applied to a randomized population sample drawn from 5 equally sized 10‐year groups of adults, totalling 373 subjects. A characteristic age‐ and sex‐dependent sum score pattern emerged, showing similarities with other investigations using different parameters for the registration of physiological age. The changes increased more evenly by age in men than in women, and started at an earlier age. The symptoms of ageing were rather stereotyped, consisting of minor pareses, deformities, and proprioceptive disturbances in feet and hands, and slight ataxic signs. However, the extent of individual involvement varied within wide limits. Very few were unaffected past 65. Men displayed more extensive changes in high age than women, who on the other hand were more affected in middle age. Further, the menopausal period seemed to coincide with changes largely reversible, including CNS symptoms. Social differences were also reflected through the sum scores, poor socio‐vocational status being associated with higher sum scores in males past 40. The sum score differences between socio‐vocational levels were apparently not due to working conditions. It has been speculated that innate biological or perinatal factors may be important determinants of the subsequent integrity of the CNS.