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Neurological soft signs (NSS) are minor deviations from the norm in motor performance that are commonly assessed using neurological examinations. NSS may be of clinical relevance for evaluating the developmental status of adolescents. Here we investigate whether quantitative force plate measures may add relevant information to observer-based neurological examinations. Male adolescent athletes (n = 141) aged 13–16 years from three European sites underwent a neurological examination including 28 tests grouped into six functional clusters. The performance of tests and functional clusters was rated as optimal/non-optimal resulting in NSS+/NSS- groups and a continuous total NSS score. Participants performed a postural control task on a Balance Tracking System measured as path length, root mean square and sway area. ANCOVAs were applied to test for group differences in postural control between the NSS+ and NSS- group, and between optimal/non-optimal performance on a cluster- and test-level. Moreover, we tested for correlations between the total NSS score and postural control variables. There was no significant overall difference between the NSS+ and NSS- group in postural control. However, non-optimal performing participants in the diadochokinesis test swayed significantly more in the medial-lateral direction than optimal performing participants. Moreover, a lower total NSS score was associated with reduced postural control in the medial-lateral direction. Our findings demonstrate that NSS are related to postural control in adolescent athletes. Thus, force plate measures may add a quantitative, objective measurement of postural control to observer-based qualitative assessments, and thus, may complement clinical testing. • Neurological soft signs are related to postural control in male adolescent athletes. • Quantitative postural control assessments may complement neurological examinations. • Non-optimal performance in diadochokinesis is related to more medial-lateral sway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate intracranial pressure and associated hemo- and hydrodynamic parameters in patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations AVMs. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with arteriovenous malformations (median age 38.7 years, 27/30 previously treated with radiosurgery) and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were investigated on a 3.0T MR scanner. Nidus volume was quantified on dynamic MR angiography. Total arterial cerebral blood flow (tCBF), venous outflow as well as aqueductal and craniospinal stroke volumes were obtained using velocity-encoded cine-phase contrast MRI. Intracranial volume change during the cardiac cycle was calculated and intracranial pressure (ICP) was derived from systolic intracranial volume change (ICVC) and pulse pressure gradient. Results: TCBF was significantly higher in AVM patients as compared to healthy controls (median 799 vs. 692mL/min, p =0.007). There was a trend for venous flow to be increased in both the ipsilateral internal jugular vein (IJV, 282 vs. 225mL/min, p =0.16), and in the contralateral IJV (322 vs. 285mL/min, p =0.09), but not in secondary veins. There was no significant difference in median ICP between AVM patients and control subjects (6.9 vs. 8.6mmHg, p =0.30) and ICP did not correlate with nidus volume in AVM patients (ρ =−0.06, p =0.74). There was a significant positive correlation between tCBF and craniospinal CSF stroke volume (ρ =0.69, p =0.02). Conclusions: The elevated cerebral blood flow in patients with AVMs is drained through an increased flow in IJVs but not secondary veins. ICP is maintained within ranges of normal and does not correlate with nidus volume. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]