title: Visuo-spatial processing in Parkinson's disease: evidence for diminished visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive resources.
abstract: A dual-task study compared the visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive components of working memory as potential cognitive mechanisms of visuo-spatial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Mildly to moderately affected Parkinsonian patients (n = 15) and controls (n = 15) performed the Corsi blocks task concurrently with tasks designed to load on the visuo-spatial sketch pad (spatial tapping) or the central executive (random interval repetition). Patients performed more poorly in both concurrent task conditions, implicating a reduction in both visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive resources. The impact of the concurrent tasks varied with disease severity, with the central executive deficit prominent at disease onset, but the visuo-spatial sketch pad deficit becoming apparent only in the moderate stages of the illness.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. Eva.Kemps@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kemps
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szmalec
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vandierendonck
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crevits
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*