title: Executive dysfunction and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: The aim of this study is to analyze executive function and motor symptoms in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The sample consisted of 44 subjects with PD between the ages of 45 to 75, who were examined consecutively. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the duration of the disease. The control group was composed of spouses, family and accompanying members. Patients included were submitted to motor dysfunction evaluation using the UPDRS. The executive functions modalities analyzed included: operational memory, inhibitory control, planning, cognitive flexibility and inductive reasoning. Significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found in all the executive domains studied. Evidence of tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia correlation with executive dysfunction were not observed. Patients with PD, even in the initial phase of the disease, presented executive dysfunction. The cardinal motor signs of the disease were not correlated with the cognitive dysfunction found.
authors.affiliation: Movement's Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Federal University of Piauí, Brazil.
authors.forename: Indira Silveira
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Campos-Sousa
authors.forename: Raimundo Nonato
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Campos-Sousa
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ataíde
authors.forename: Marta Maria de Brito
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Kelson James
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*