title: Can executive cognitive measures differentiate between patients with spinal- and bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
abstract: Although executive functions in sporadic non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients are mostly affected, it remains unclear whether executive measures can differentiate between patients with bulbar and spinal ALS forms. Thirty spinal and 18 bulbar-onset ALS patients (ALS-s and ALS-b, respectively) as well as 47 demographically related healthy controls were examined in executive processes (Trail Making Test-part B [TMT-(B-A)]; Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test [SNST]; Similarities subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS Similarities]; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [WCST]). ALS subgroups were similar with regard to demographic characteristics and disease duration; yet, ALS-b showed greater disease severity compared with ALS-s patients (p = .006). Both ALS-s and ALS-b patients were significantly inferior to healthy controls on TMT-(B-A) (p < .001), SNST (p = .009 and p = .02, respectively) and WAIS Similarities (p = .031 and p = .021, respectively), whereas ALS-s performed significantly worse than controls on the WCST perseverative responses (p = .005). However, neuropsychological measures did not significantly differ between ALS subgroups (p > .05). Despite the fact that ALS-b patients may present greater disease severity, specific executive impairments that are present early in the course of ALS seems to be independent of the site of onset.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychological Laboratory, First Department of Neurology, "Aeginition" Hospital, Medical School, National University of Athens, Greece. zalonis@eginitio.med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zalonis
authors.forename: Foteini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Christidi
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paraskevas
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zabelis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Evdokimidis
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kararizou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult