Neuropsychologic findings in Friedreich's ataxia.
Fifteen patients with Friedreich's ataxia underwent a battery of neuropsychologic tests. All subjects had normal visual acuity. There was no indication that Friedreich's ataxia is a dementing disease. The patients showed an impairment in tests of spatial construction and in one test of conceptual perception. Cerebellar structures may be involved in certain spatial tasks, and a lack of training of action in space, as a result of the disease, may also account for the deficits. The motor and somatosensory impairment could be ruled out as a major cause.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014796:Visual Perception; D014888:Wechsler Scales