title: Peculiar aspects of reading and writing performances in patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophy.
abstract: Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a still debated condition, of which motor disruption is the most common feature. A high incidence of associated mood disorders may exist, but there are few studies on concomitant cognitive impairment. Our aim was to assess whether there is reading and writing disruption in olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA). 6 patients were administered different reading and writing tasks. Scores were then compared to those obtained by healthy volunteers. There was an evident impairment in reading and writing execution in our patients compared to those of the control group. On the contrary, no difference could be found in abstraction, problem-solving, and memory tasks. We discuss the results, debating the role of the cerebellum in the conscious process of cognition or in ocular movement control (necessary for reading and writing fluidity and effective execution) and in the dynamic activation of all the cerebral cortex mediated by the diffuse projection to the reticular system.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Patologia Generale, U.C.O. di Clinica Neurologica, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy. moretti@univ.trieste.it
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torre
authors.forename: Rodolfo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Antonello
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zambito-Marsala
authors.forename: Ma Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ukmar
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capus
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gioulis
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cazzato
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bava
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000381:Agraphia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009849:Olivopontocerebellar Atrophies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology