Reduced sensitivity to future consequences underlies gambling decision in cerebellar ataxia.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has identified that people with cerebellar ataxia (CA) showed impaired reward-related decision-making in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). To investigate the mechanisms underlying this impairment, we examined CA participants' combination of performance in the IGT, which predominantly tests reward seeking, and the modified IGT (mIGT), which mainly assesses punishment avoidance. METHODS: Fifty participants with CA and one hundred controls completed the IGT and mIGT. Task performance in each of the five twenty-trial blocks was compared between groups and the learning rates were assessed with simple linear regressions. Each participant's IGT score and mIGT score were compared. RESULTS: CA participants performed worse than controls in both the IGT and the mIGT, especially in the last block (IGT: -0.24 ± 10.05 vs. 3.88 ± 10.31, p = 0.041; mIGT: 2.72 ± 7.62 vs. 8.65 ± 8.64, p < 0.001). In contrast to the controls, those with CA did not significantly improve their scores over time in either task. Controls performed better in the mIGT than the IGT, while CA participants' scores in the two tasks showed no significant difference. IGT and mIGT performance did not correlate with ataxia severity or depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Individuals with CA showed impaired performance in both the IGT and mIGT, which indicates disruption in both short-term reward seeking and short-term punishment avoidance. Therefore, these results suggest that reduced sensitivity to long-term consequences drives the risky decision-making in CA.

Fatigue Impacts Quality of Life in People with Spinocerebellar Ataxias.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating symptom in neurological disorders, including spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). However, the risk factors of fatigue in the SCAs as well as its impact have not been well investigated. OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of fatigue in SCAs, the factors contributing to fatigue, and the influence of fatigue on quality of life. METHODS: Fatigue was assessed in 418 participants with SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 from the Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia using the Fatigue Severity Scale. We conducted multi-variable linear regression models to examine the factors contributing to fatigue as well as the association between fatigue and quality of life. RESULTS: Fatigue was most prevalent in SCA3 (52.6%), followed by SCA1 (36.7%), SCA6 (35.7%), and SCA2 (35.6%). SCA cases with fatigue had more severe ataxia and worse depressive symptoms. In SCA3, those with fatigue had a longer disease duration and longer pathological CAG repeat numbers. In multi-variable models, depressive symptoms, but not ataxia severity, were associated with more severe fatigue. Fatigue, independent of ataxia and depression, contributed to worse quality of life in SCA3 and SCA6 at baseline, and fatigue continued affecting quality of life throughout the disease course in all types of SCA. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue is a common symptom in SCAs and is closely related to depression. Fatigue significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Therefore, screening for fatigue should be considered a part of standard clinical care for SCAs.

Gambling associated risk-taking decision in cerebellar ataxia.

INTRODUCTION: People with cerebellar ataxia (CA) can develop impulsive and compulsive behaviors that significantly affect their and their family's quality of life. To further assess the decision-making process associated with these behaviors, we used the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to study people with CA. METHODS: Sixty individuals with CA and thirty age-matched controls were enrolled in the study to complete the IGT. No participants had a prior or comorbid neurologic or psychiatric disorder associated with impulsivity. IGT performance in each of the five 20-trial blocks was compared between groups and the progression of participants' performance was assessed with simple linear regression models. Subgroup analyses were performed with genetic and non-genetic CA cases. RESULTS: CA cases obtained significantly lower IGT total scores than controls (-5.30 ± 37.53 vs. 21.30 ± 37.37, p = 0.004). In addition, those with CA made riskier decisions throughout the task compared to controls. Although both CA and controls learned to make decisions with more favorable outcomes over the course of completing the IGT, CA participants never matched the controls' performance. IGT performance did not correlate with ataxia severity or depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The IGT may capture a unique behavioral symptom of CA. Future studies may help elucidate the mechanisms underlying impaired decision-making in CA and further the understanding of a broader spectrum of cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome.

Essential Tremor as a "Waste Basket" Diagnosis: Diagnosing Essential Tremor Remains a Challenge.

Introduction: The diagnosis of essential tremor (ET) remains a clinical one, and diagnostic errors are common. We aimed to (1) determine precisely how frequently ET diagnoses are misapplied (i.e., what percentage of patients who have been assigned an "ET" diagnosis actually have another movement disorder), (2) determine which other movement disorders are most often misclassified as "ET," and (3) examine the clinical features that were most associated with diagnostic errors. Methods: One hundred four consecutive patients were included who met the following criteria: (1) initial outpatient evaluation by one of the authors (EDL) between January 2015 and December 2019 and (2) pre-evaluation diagnosis of ET. Data on an extensive number of clinical features were extracted from the electronic medical record. Results: Forty-seven (45.2%) patients received a post-evaluation diagnosis of ET, 29 (27.9%) of dystonia, and 28 (26.9%) of other diagnoses including Parkinson's disease (PD) [6 (5.8%)]. Factors associated with an alternative post-evaluation diagnosis other than ET were pre-evaluation diagnosis made by a non-neurologist, shorter tremor duration, irregular tremor, abnormal limb postures, among others. Discussion: Diagnosing ET remains a challenge, with the diagnosis being over-applied and being used as a "waste basket." More than one-half of the patients who were referred to our clinic with an intake diagnosis of ET were given an alternative post-evaluation diagnosis. While PD was reported to be the most frequently missed diagnosis in a past study, dystonia was most commonly missed in our study. Several clinical features can help to differentiate ET from other tremor disorders.