Are neuropsychological tests useful in screening for the genetic risk of Parkinson's disease?
We evaluated whether assessments of cognitive flexibility, memory, mood, somatic complaints, personality traits and finger tapping rate could be used to screen persons of at least 40 years of age for their possible genetic risk for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Thirty-five asymptomatic first-degree relatives (FPD) of PD families with at least two affected members were compared with 29 relatives (SPD) of sporadic PD patients and with 32 controls. After covarying for age and intelligence, FPD had lower scores in verbal fluency, achieved fewer categories and had more errors in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; they exhibited more impulsiveness, strain and less extraversion on personality assessment. FPD did not differ from SPD in any of these items. The global assessment of neuropsychological test performance, mood changes, somatic complaints, personality traits and fine motor abilities is of no help in differentiating persons at a putative genetic risk for PD from those without such risk.
Vieregge
P
P
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538, Lübeck, Germany.
Heberlein
I
I
Kömpf
D
D