RESEARCH: Attention and cognition in bradykinetic-rigid syndromes: an event-related potential study.

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Ann Neurol 2001 Nov;50(5):567-73

Attention and cognition in bradykinetic-rigid syndromes: an event-related

potential study.

Pirtosek Z, Jahanshahi M, Barrett G, Lees AJ.

The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and Institute of

Neurology,

London, UK. zvezdan.pirtosek@...

Bradykinetic-rigid syndromes are often accompanied by cognitive impairment.

Because prominent motor involvement in these disorders may interfere with

neuropsychological testing, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) for the

assessment of cognition and attention in 41 patients with various

bradykinetic-rigid syndromes of less than 5 years duration: idiopathic

Parkinson's disease, corticobasal degeneration, Steele--Olszewski

syndrome (SRO), and multiple system atrophy. Patients were compared with

matched

normals. ERP abnormalities in the auditory " oddball " paradigm were found

only in

corticobasal degeneration and SRO. ERP abnormalities in selective attention

tasks were present in all patient groups, changes in SRO being the most

prevalent. Abnormalities in corticobasal degeneration were present under

" less-attention-demanding " conditions and suggested involvement of posterior

parts of the brain. Multiple system atrophy and idiopathic Parkinson's

disease

patient groups had minimal ERP abnormalities. However, reaction times in MSA

were longer in all paradigms. The results of the study support the view that

bradykinetic-rigid syndromes involve some attentional deficits, but also

have

distinct reaction time and ERP characteristics, which may be helpful in

differential diagnosis.

PMID: 11706961