title: Parkinson's disease and arithmetics: the role of executive functions.
abstract: Brain imaging studies as well as neuropsychological case studies suggest an important role for basal ganglia in arithmetic processing. Aim of this study was to assess possible numerical deficits in PD and functional relations between numerical and other cognitive deficits. Fifteen non-demented patients with early PD (stable responders treated by l-dopa) were compared to 28 healthy age and education matched controls. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological assessment focussing on numerical abilities (quantity processing, arithmetic fact retrieval, complex mental and written calculation, transcoding, arithmetic set-shifting, calculation span), working memory and executive functions. Patients with PD showed deficits in complex mental calculation and calculation span tasks. Results of this study suggest that impairments in working memory as well as in executive functions, such as inhibition of interference, lead to secondary deficits in numerical processing. The study contributes to better understanding the specific cognitive deficits in early PD and the neurocognitive architecture of arithmetic processing.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. laura.zamarian@uklibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zamarian
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Visani
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delazer
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seppi
authors.forename: Katherina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mair
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Poewe
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis