Soft neurological signs in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic and heterogeneous psychiatric condition with significant disability and a lifetime prevalence of 2-3%. Recent research has focused on the relationship between neurological dysfunction and OCD, specifically investigating Soft Neurological Signs (SNS). This systematic review and meta-analysis, based on 21 studies and 2024 participants, explored the severity of SNS in OCD patients compared to healthy controls. The results confirmed that OCD patients exhibit higher levels of SNSs, with no significant influence from demographic factors, age of onset, illness severity and duration, assessment tools or pharmacological treatment. High heterogeneity and potential publication bias were noted, particularly in the “SNS total score”. Limitations included the lack of blinded assessments in most studies and the cross-sectional nature of the research, which prevents establishing the potential prognostic value of SNS. Longitudinal studies and standardized assessments are needed to better understand the role of SNSs in OCD progression