title: Cognitive and behavioral assessment in the early stages of neurodegenerative extrapyramidal syndromes.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Degeneration Syndrome (CBDS) are the most common neurodegenerative extrapyramidal syndromes. Beyond motor symptoms, cognitive dysfunctions and behavioral disturbances are reported. Neuropsychological and neuropsychiatry features in the early stages, however, are under-investigated, and few comparison studies are available yet. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cognitive and behavioral profile in the early stages of neurodegenerative extrapyramidal syndromes. Thirty-nine PD, 27 DLB, 16 CBDS, and 24 PSP were recruited. Groups were matched for global cognitive and motor impairment. The overall sample showed a common neuropsychological core characterized by visuospatial deficits. Although in the early stage of the disease, a high presence of behavioral disturbances was detected, depression and anxiety were the most common disorders, followed by apathy and sleep disturbances. The observation of overlapping clinical entities points the attention on the need of adjunctive diagnostic markers for early differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Brescia, Piazza Spedali Civili 1, I-25125 Brescia, Italy. bborroni@inwind.it
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turla
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bertasi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agosti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gilberti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padovani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D020271:Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013577:Syndrome