Objective: The determination of soft signs can be a conducive practice to understand the differential etiology between depression and anxiety. This study aims at examining malleolar hypoesthesia role in distinguishing between patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression disorder (MDD). Methods: This study examines the presence of malleolar hypoesthesia in patients with GAD (n = 47) compared to patients with MDD (n = 48) and healthy individuals (controls; n = 99). The Wartenberg wheel, a medical device for neurological use, was employed to determine the presence of hypoesthesia on both sides of the ankles. Results: The data revealed: i) MDD patients showed higher hypoesthesia than GAD patients (p = .008), ii) participants with hypoesthesia had higher anxiety and depression scores than participants without hypoesthesia (all p < .001) and iii) logistic regression model indicated that hypoesthesia can be a predictor of MDD relative to GAD diagnosis (Odds Ratio: 17.43 (1.40-217.09; p = .026)). Conclusions: Malleolar hypoesthesia was higher in MDD than GAD. The detection of hypoesthesia may help to investigate the differential etiology between MDD and GAD diagnosis.
Keywords: Generalised anxiety disorder; hypoesthesia; major depression disorder; neurological soft signs; tactile sensitivity.