title: Attentional networks in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: We tested the efficiency of three attentional systems (spatial orienting, phasic alerting and executive control) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), by using a modified version of the Attention Network Test, which employs acoustic tones to modulate phasic alertness. PD patients were generally slower than age-matched controls, but they showed a similar pattern of effects and interactions. Responses were faster with congruent than with incongruent stimuli (executive control), with valid visual cues than with invalid or no cues (orienting), and when acoustic tones preceded the target (alerting). This last effect was significantly larger in PD patients than in controls. We concluded that, for the present group of patients, the activity of attentional networks was relatively normal, if slowed. Slowed responses in PD may be improved by the use of acoustic stimuli, with potential clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psicologia, Universitè Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cristinzio
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bononi
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartolomeo
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009949:Orientation; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time