[Comparison study of executive functions in Parkinson's disease and degenerative cerebellar disease's patients].
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.
Abel
Carlos G
CG
División Neurología, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Urquiza 609, 1221 Buenos Aires, Argentina. dakar58@arnet.com.ar
Stein
Gustavo
G
Pereyra
Silvia
S
Nano
Gabriela
G
Arakaki
Tomoko
T
Garretto
Nélida
N
Mangone
Carlos
C
Genovese
Osvaldo
O
Sica
Roberto E P
RE
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*