title: [Comparison study of executive functions in Parkinson's disease and degenerative cerebellar disease's patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare executive functions (EF) in non-demented mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD) (Hoehn and Yahr < or =3) and pure degenerative cerebellar disease (CD) in order to evaluate the relative contribution and differential role of basal ganglia and cerebellum in those functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  14 patients with PD and 14 patients with CD matched by sex, education, disease's duration and MMSE were selected. A standardized neuropsychological battery and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were administered. Z scores were compared for both groups through t-test for independent samples were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cerebellar group showed significant lower performance in measures of attention and EF, with a significant increase in both perseverative and non perseverative errors during the WCST. On the other hand the PD group showed a selective increase of non perseverative errors, without reaching significant between group difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CD group appears to have greater deficits in EF with a pattern of prefrontal dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: División Neurología, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Urquiza 609, 1221 Buenos Aires, Argentina. dakar58@arnet.com.ar
authors.forename: Carlos G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pereyra
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nano
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arakaki
authors.forename: Nélida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garretto
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mangone
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Genovese
authors.forename: Roberto E P
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sica
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia; D002531:Cerebellum; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000523:psychology*