title: Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity is related to decline in verbal memory in healthy elderly adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Deficits in cognition have been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) already in the early and even in the pre-motor stages. Whilst substantia nigra hyperechogenicity measured by transcranial B-mode sonography (TCS) represents a strong PD marker and is associated with an increased risk for PD in still healthy individuals, its association with cognitive performance in prodromal PD stages is not well established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two different cohorts of healthy elderly individuals were assessed by TCS and two different neuropsychological test batteries covering executive functions, verbal memory, language, visuo-constructional function and attention. Cognitive performance was compared between individuals with hyperechogenicity (SN+) and without hyperechogenicity (SN-).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both cohorts, SN+ individuals performed significantly worse than the SN- group in tests assessing verbal memory (word list delayed recall P = 0.05, logical memory II P < 0.017). Significant differences in Mini-Mental State Examination score (cohort 1, P = 0.02) and executive function tests (cohort 2, Stroop Color-Word Reading, P = 0.004) could only be shown in one of the two cohorts. No between-group effects were found in other cognitive tests and domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that individuals with the PD risk marker SN+ perform worse in verbal memory compared to SN- independent of the assessment battery. Memory performance should be assessed in detail in individuals at risk for PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liepelt-Scarfone
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roeben
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pausch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Runkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|Geriatric Center at the University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niebler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Suenkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|Geriatric Center at the University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Eschweiler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maetzler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Parkinson's disease cognition; substantia nigra hyperechogenicity; transcranial sonography; verbal memory