title: Cognitive impairments in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the cognitive profiles in a large sample of patients with multiple system atrophy-cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C) and compared directly them in patients with clinical diagnosis of probable MSA-C without dementia and control subjects with intact cognition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively enrolled 26 patients with clinical diagnosis of probable MSA-C. All patients underwent a standardized neuropsychological test of the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The score of Korean version of the Mini- Mental State Examination was significantly lower in patients with MSA-C (27.2 ± 2.5) than in control subjects (28.9 ± 1.0, p = 0.003). Patients with MSA-C showed a significantly worse performance in visuospatial function, 3 words recall, verbal immediate, delayed and recognition memory, visual delayed memory, phonemic and sementic Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and ideomotor praxis (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with MSA-C show more severe and more widespread cognitive dysfunctions than controls. Our results also indicate that cognitive dysfunction in patients with MCA-C is suggestive of disruption of the cerebellocortical circuits.
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Institute, Department of Neurology Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sook Keun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Institute, Department of Neurology Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Phil Hyu
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Institute, Department of Neurology Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Institute, Department of Neurology Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Multiple system atrophy