title: Specific Attentional Disorders and Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to its high prevalence in dual-task paradigms, freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease is thought to be associated with dysexecutive syndrome and attentional disorders. However, the role of specific attentional disorders in patients with freezing of gait is still unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Here, we sought to specifically determine which basic attentional modalities are impaired in patients with freezing of gait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight parkinsonian patients performed a computer-controlled reaction-time paradigm designed to measure the different attentional subcomponents, controlled for visuospatial processing and motor participation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The freezer (n = 42) and non-freezer (n = 36) groups were matched for age, educational level, MMSE and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale. There were no intergroup differences in simple reaction times, whereas choice reaction times were higher in the freezer group than in the non-freezer group for divided attention (p = 0.023).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At equivalent levels of overall cognitive efficiency, freezer patients showed a greater slowdown than non-freezer patients with a specific impairment in divided attention.
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U1171, Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires, Université de Lille, France.|Neurology and Movement Disorders Department, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tard
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U1171, Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires, Université de Lille, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delval
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duhamel
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U1171, Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires, Université de Lille, France.|Neurology and Movement Disorders Department, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U1171, Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires, Université de Lille, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devos
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U1171, Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires, Université de Lille, France.|Neurology and Movement Disorders Department, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dujardin
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011930:Reaction Time
keywords: Focusing; Parkinsonism; attention; divided attention; dual-task