The Cognitive Profile of Atypical Parkinsonism: A Meta-Analysis.

Atypical Parkinsonism (AP) syndromes are characterized by a wide spectrum of non-motor symptoms including prominent attentional and executive deficits. However, the cognitive profile of AP and its differences and similarities with that of Parkinson's Disease (PD) are still a matter of debate. The present meta-analysis aimed at identifying patterns of cognitive impairment in AP by comparing global cognitive functioning, memory, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, language, non-verbal reasoning, and processing speed test performances of patients with AP relative to healthy controls and patients with PD. All investigated cognitive domains showed a substantial impairment in patients with AP compared to healthy controls. When AP syndromes were considered separately, their cognitive functioning was distributed along a continuum from Multiple Systemic Atrophy at one extreme, with the least impaired cognitive profile (similar to that observed in PD) to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, with the greatest decline in global cognitive and executive functioning (similar to Corticobasal Syndrome). These findings indicate that widespread cognitive impairment could represent an important clinical indicator to distinguish AP from other movement disorders.

Clinimetrics of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia.

This study aimed at assessing the clinimetrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in an Italian cohort of patients with adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia (AOIFD). N = 86 AOIFD patients and N = 92 healthy controls (HCs) were administered the MoCA. Patients further underwent the Trail-Making Test (TMT) and Babcock Memory Test (BMT), being also screened via the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS). Factorial structure and internal consistency were assessed. Construct validity was tested against TMT, BMT, BDI-II and DAS scores, whilst diagnostics against the co-occurrence of a defective performance on at least one TMT measure and on the BMT. Case-control discrimination was examined. The association between MoCA scores and motor-functional measures was explored. The MoCA was underpinned by a mono-component structure and acceptably reliable at an internal level. It converged towards TMT and BMT scores, as well as with the DAS, whilst diverging from the BDI-II. Its adjusted scores accurately detected cognitive impairment (AUC = .86) at a cut-off of < 17.212. The MoCA discriminated patients from HCs (p < .001). Finally, it was unrelated to disease duration and severity, as well as to motor phenotypes. The Italian MoCA is a valid, diagnostically sound and feasible cognitive screener in AOIFD patients.

Clinimetrics and feasibility of the Italian version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at assessing the cross-sectional and longitudinal clinimetrics and feasibility of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. METHODS: N = 109 PD patients underwent the FAB and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A subsample of patients further underwent a thorough motor, functional and behavioral evaluation (the last including measures of anxiety, depression and apathy). A further subsample was administered a second-level cognitive battery tapping on attention, executive functioning, language, memory, praxis and visuo-spatial abilities. The following properties of the FAB were tested: (1) concurrent validity and diagnostics against the MoCA; (2) convergent validity against the second-level cognitive battery; (4) association with motor, functional and behavioral measures; (5) capability to discriminate patients from healthy controls (HCs; N = 96); (6) assessing its test-retest reliability, susceptibility to practice effects and predictive validity against the MoCA, as well as deriving reliable change indices (RCIs) for it, at a ≈ 6-month interval, within a subsample of patients (N = 33). RESULTS: The FAB predicted MoCA scores at both T0 and T1, converged with the vast majority of second-level cognitive measures and was associated with functional independence and apathy. It accurately identified cognitive impairment (i.e., a below-cut-off MoCA score) in patients, also discriminating patients from HCs. The FAB was reliable at retest and free of practice effects; RCIs were derived according to a standardized regression-based approach. DISCUSSION: The FAB is a clinimetrically sound and feasible screener for detecting dysexecutive-based cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients.

Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Depression is one of the most disabling neuropsychiatric manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD) and requires proper screening and diagnosis because it affects the overall prognosis and quality of life of patients. This study aimed to assess the psychometric and diagnostic properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in an Italian PD cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty consecutive outpatients with PD underwent the Italian version of the BDI-II and other questionnaires to evaluate anxiety and apathetic symptoms. Patients' caregivers completed the depression/dysphoria domain of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-D). We evaluated the internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and factorial structure of BDI-II. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios were computed using ROC analyses, and an optimal cutoff was defined using the Youden index. RESULTS: The BDI-II proved to be internally consistent (Cronbach's α = 0.840) and substantially met the bi-factorial structure. Regarding construct validity, the BDI-II was substantially related to anxiety measures, but not to apathy. With the combination of the NPI-D and anxiety score used as the gold standard, the BDI-II overall showed good accuracy (AUC = 0.859) with adequate sensitivity (75%) and specificity (87%). The optimal cutoff point was defined at 14.50. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence of the psychometric and diagnostic properties of the Italian version of the BDI-II as a screening tool for depression in patients with PD. The BDI-II was found to be reliable and valid for the measurement of depression in patients with PD; therefore, it is available for use in clinical research and practice.

Validity and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at: (1) assessing, in an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the construct validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) against both first- and second-level cognitive measures; (2) delivering an exhaustive and updated evaluation of its diagnostic properties. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of N = 237 non-demented PD patients having been administered the MoCA was addressed, of whom N = 169 further underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and N = 68 the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS). A subsample (N = 60) also underwent a second-level cognitive battery encompassing measures of attention/executive functioning, language, memory, praxis and visuo-spatial abilities. Construct validity was assessed against both the PD-CRS and the second-level cognitive battery. Diagnostics were tested via receiver-operating characteristics analyses against a below-cut-off MMSE score. RESULTS: The MoCA was associated with both PD-CRS scores (p < .001) and the vast majority of second-level cognitive measures (ps < .003). Both raw and adjusted MoCA scores proved to be highly accurate to the aim of identifying patients with MMSE-confirmed cognitive dysfunctions. A MoCA score adjusted for age and education according to the most recent normative dataset and < 19.015 is herewith suggested as indexing cognitive impairment in this population (AUC = .92; sensitivity = .92; specificity = .80). DISCUSSION: The Italian MoCA is a valid and diagnostically sound screener for global cognitive inefficiency in non-demented PD patients. Further studies are nevertheless needed that confirm its diagnostic values against a measure other than the MMSE.

A longitudinal study on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic led to psychological consequences on people's mental health, representing a condition of increased vulnerability for the weakest sections of population, including elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This longitudinal study aimed at exploring the impact of the most frequent non-motor symptoms and their contribute on health-related quality of life of PD patients after the COVID-19 outbreak, in comparison with the pre-pandemic status. METHODS: Forty-two non-demented PD patients underwent a first assessment between December 2018 and January 2020 (T0). Then, between March and May 2021 (T1), they were contacted again and asked to complete the second assessment. Levels of global functioning, several non-motor symptoms (i.e. depression, apathy, anxiety, anhedonia) and health-related quality of life were investigated. RESULTS: Results of the the paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that at T1, PD patients scored lower on the emotional subscale of the DAS, Z = - 2.49; p = 0.013; Cohen dz = 0.691. Higher scores of the TEPS total score, Z = - 2.38; p = 0.025; Cohen dz = 0.621, and LEDD, Z = - 2.63; p = 0.008; Cohen dz = 0.731, were also reported at T1. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that self-isolation at home might lead to a reduction of apathy and anhedonia in PD patients due to the increase in social support provided by families during COVID-19 restrictions. This evidence brings out the need of a consistent and persistent social support which might be represented by caregivers or/and social assistive robotics.

The Italian version of the alternative form of Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS/AF): normative values from 260 Italian healthy subjects.

INTRODUCTION: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) is a comprehensive PD-specific cognitive scale which assesses both fronto-subcortical and cortical functions. The original version of the PD-CRS is a valid and reliable instrument to screen for and diagnose PD-MCI. Although this battery was translated and validated into Italian language, an alternative form (AF) should be useful to minimize practice effect in test-retest conditions. The main aim of the present study was to validate the Italian version of the AF of the PD-CRS (PD-CRS/AF) and to collect normative values in a sample of Italian healthy adult and older population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We adapted the PD-CRS/AF to Italian language, then 260 participants of different ages (age range 40-89 years) and educational levels (from primary school to university) underwent the PD-CRS/AF. Regression-based norming was used to explore the influence of demographic variables (age, education level, sex) on total score, cortical and subcortical scores, and for the score on each single subtest of the PD-CRS/AF. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and education are significantly associated with the total score and the two sub-scores, whereas no significant effect of sex was revealed. A correction grid for raw scores was developed and inferential cut-off and equivalent scores for each sub-test were provided. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides the first Italian translation of PD-CRS/AF and normative data to correct the scores according to relevant demographic variables, allowing clinicians to detect cognitive changes over time by means of a valid and reliable cognitive screening instrument.

Psychometrics, diagnostics and usability of Italian tools assessing behavioural and functional outcomes in neurological, geriatric and psychiatric disorders: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Psychometric instruments assessing behavioural and functional outcomes (BFIs) in neurological, geriatric and psychiatric populations are relevant towards diagnostics, prognosis and intervention. However, BFIs often happen not to meet methodological-statistical standards, thus lowering their level of recommendation in clinical practice and research. This work thus aimed at (1) providing an up-to-date compendium on psychometrics, diagnostics and usability of available Italian BFIs and (2) delivering evidence-based information on their level of recommendation. METHODS: This review was pre-registered (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021295430) and performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Several psychometric, diagnostic and usability measures were addressed as outcomes. Quality assessment was performed via an ad hoc checklist, the Behavioural and Functional Instrument Quality Assessment. RESULTS: Out of an initial N = 830 reports, 108 studies were included (N = 102 BFIs). Target constructs included behavioural/psychiatric symptoms, quality of life and physical functioning. BFIs were either self- or caregiver-/clinician-report. Studies in clinical conditions (including neurological, psychiatric and geriatric ones) were the most represented. Validity was investigated for 85 and reliability for 80 BFIs, respectively. Criterion and factorial validity testing were infrequent, whereas content and ecological validity and parallel forms were almost never addressed. Item response theory analyses were seldom carried out. Diagnostics and norms lacked for about one-third of BFIs. Information on administration time, ease of use and ceiling/floor effects were often unreported. DISCUSSION: Several available BFIs for the Italian population do not meet adequate statistical-methodological standards, this prompting a greater care from researchers involved in their development.

Ecological Validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Non-Demented Parkinson's Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND: The ecological validity of performance-based cognitive screeners needs to be tested in order for them to be fully recommended for use within clinical practice and research. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine, within an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the ecological validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) by assessing its association with (1) functional independence (FI), (2) quality of life (QoL), and (3) behavioural-psychological (BP) outcomes. METHODS: Seventy-four non-demented PD patients were administered the MoCA and underwent motor functional - i.e., Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Modified Hoehn-Yahr Scale (HY), and Schwab and England Scale (SES) -, behavioural and psychological - i.e., State- and Trait-Anxiety Inventory-Form Y (STAI-Y1/-Y2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) - and QoL evaluations - i.e., MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Associations of interest against FI, QoL, and BP outcomes were tested via Bonferroni-corrected Pearson's/Spearman's correlations while covarying for demographics, disease duration as well as UPDRS-III, UPDRS-IV, and HY scores. Intake of psychotropic drugs was also covaried when assessing the association between the MoCA and BP/QoL measures. RESULTS: MoCA scores were significantly associated with the SES (rs(73) = 0.34; p = 0.005) and the DAS-Executive (r(67) = -0.47; p < 0.001), while not to other FI/BP outcomes and QoL measures. CONCLUSIONS: The MoCA is a valid estimate of daily life functional autonomy in non-demented PD patients, also reflecting apathetic features of a dysexecutive nature.

The role of the motor subtypes on the relationship between anxiety and cognitive dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease.

Anxiety is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). Until now, anxiety has been consistently related to cognitive deficits and severity of motor symptoms, whereas the association between anxiety and motor subtypes (TD-PD, tremor dominant and PIGD-PD, postural instability/gait disturbances dominant) revealed contrasting results. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between PD motor subtypes and anxiety and to explore whether the relationship between anxiety and cognitive deficits occurs in a specific PD motor subtype. Consecutive PD outpatients were recruited and divided into TD-PD and PIGD-PD groups according to Jankovic et al.'s criteria. All participants underwent a neuropsychological battery to evaluate anxiety, apathy, the global cognitive functioning, memory abilities, executive and visuo-constructional functions. Thirty-six patients with TD-PD and 35 patients with PIGD-PD were enrolled. The two groups did not differ on demographical and clinical variables. As for the severity of anxiety, no significant difference between the two groups was found. Regression analysis revealed that higher anxiety score was associated with poorer performance on constructional visuospatial test in both TD-PD and PIGD-PD. Clinical variables were not associated with anxiety in the two groups. Our findings indicated that the severity of anxiety was not associated with any PD motor subtypes. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that impaired visuo-constructional abilities are related to anxiety independently of PD motor subtypes. Since altered fronto-parietal network might be one of the pathogenetic mechanisms underpinning anxiety and constructional visuospatial deficits, the treatment of cognitive dysfunctions might reduce anxious symptoms.

Personality profile and depression in migraine: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the clinical importance of psychological factors in migraine, the relationship between personality traits, depression, and migraine has been poorly investigated. OBJECTIVE: To delineate the personality profile distinctive for migraineurs and to explore the relationship between personality traits and depression in migraineurs compared to non-migraineurs. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed up to March 2019 using PsycInfo (PROQUEST), PubMed and Scopus. Sixteen primary studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The meta-analysis on the personality defined according to Psychobiological model revealed high Harm Avoidance (Hedges'g = 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01-0.60), Persistence (Hedges'g = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.01to - 0.72) and low self-directedness (Hedges'g = - 0.33; 95% CI = -0.57 to - 0.09) in migraineurs. The meta-analysis on the personality defined according to Three Factor Model revealed high neuroticism (Hedges'g = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.32-0.63) and low extraversion (Hedges'g = - 0.08; 95% CI = - 0.14 to - 0.03) in migraineurs. Meta-regression analysis revealed that neuroticism moderated the relationship between depression and migraine. CONCLUSION: The findings evidenced that migraine is characterized by specific personality traits. Among them, neuroticism influenced the severity of depression in migraineurs, and, therefore, an early evaluation of the personality traits could allow identifying patients susceptible to develop migraine-associated psychopathological symptoms.

Assessment of apathy minimising the effect of motor dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease: a validation study of the dimensional apathy scale.

PURPOSE: Apathy is associated with motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD); therefore, its evaluation could be influenced by motor disability. The Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) evaluates apathy excluding confounding effects of motor symptoms. The present study had three major aims: (a) to explore the psychometric properties of the DAS in non-demented PD patients; (b) to determine an optimal cut-off score of the DAS to identify apathetic PD patients; and (c) to determine a specific apathy profile in PD patients as compared to healthy controls (HC). METHODS: One hundred and seven PD patients and 100 HC completed the DAS. To explore convergent and divergent validity of the DAS in PD, patients underwent the Apathy Evaluation Scale and tools for assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety and cognition. Clinical aspects were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were carried out to estimate the optimal cut-off score to identify clinically significant apathy. RESULTS: The DAS scores showed high internal consistency and good evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Maximum discrimination between apathetic and non-apathetic patients was obtained with a cut-off score of 28.5 (total score range: 0-72 with higher score indicating more severe apathy). Comparison between PD and HC groups revealed significant differences on total DAS, behavioural/cognitive initiation and emotional subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The DAS is a valid and reliable tool to assess multidimensional apathy in PD, independently of severity of motor symptoms. Reduced initiation of thought and behaviour and emotional blunting characterised PD patients, without confounding effects of motor disability.

Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS)-Italian version: regression based norms and equivalent scores.

Cognitive assessment for individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) can be difficult because of frequent occurrence of difficulties with speech, writing, and drawing. The Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) is a recent multi-domain neuropsychological screening tool specifically devised for this purpose, and it assesses the following domains: executive functions, social cognition, verbal fluency and language (ALS-specific), but also memory and visuospatial abilities (Non-ALS specific). ECAS total score ranges from 0 (worst performance) to 136 (best performance). Moreover, a brief caregiver interview provides an assessment of behaviour changes and psychotic symptoms usually associated with ALS patients. The aim of the present study was to provide normative values for ECAS total score and sub-scores in a sample of Italian healthy subjects. Two hundred and seventy-seven Italian healthy subjects (151 women and 126 men; age range 30-79 years; educational level from primary school to university) underwent ECAS and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and education significantly influenced performance on ECAS total score and sub-scale scores. From the derived linear equation, a correction grid for raw scores was built. Inferential cut-off scores were estimated using a non-parametric technique and equivalent scores (ES) were computed. Correlation analysis showed a good significant correlation between adjusted ECAS total scores with adjusted MoCA total scores (r rho = 0.669, p < 0.0001). The present study provided normative data for the ECAS in an Italian population useful for both clinical and research purposes.

Assessment of apathy independent of physical disability: validation of the Dimensional Apathy Scale in Italian healthy sample.

Apathy is well described in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by motor disability; therefore, assessment of apathy avoiding possible confounding effects of motor impairments is necessary in neurological diseases. Recently, the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) was developed to assess apathy as multifaceted construct, independent of physical disability. We developed the Italian version of the Dimensional Apathy Scale (I-DAS) and explored its psychometric properties in a sample of 309 healthy individuals. Participants also completed Apathy Evaluation Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised. The I-DAS showed high internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity. The I-DAS had a three-factor structure, such as the original scale. The I-DAS scored was significantly correlated with individuals' education, but not with age or gender. We, therefore, computed correction factor for education and provided percentile distribution of the adjusted scores to identify individuals with high levels of apathy. The I-DAS showed good psychometric properties and can be a valid and reliable tool to assess multidimensional apathy.

Early Detection of Depression in Parkinson's Disease: Psychometrics and Diagnostics of the Spanish Version of the Beck Depression Inventory.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is one of the most disabling non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) and requires proper diagnosis as it negatively impacts patients' and their relatives quality of life. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric and diagnostic properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I) in a Spanish PD cohort. METHOD: Consecutive PD outpatients completed the Spanish version of the BDI-I and other questionnaires assessing anxiety and apathy. Patients' caregivers completed the depression/dysphoria domain of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-D). The internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity and the factorial structure of BDI-I were evaluated, and an optimal cut-off was defined by means of the Youden index. RESULTS: The BDI-I proved to have a good internal consistency and was underpinned by a mono-component structure. Regarding construct validity, the BDI-I was substantially related to anxiety and apathy measures in PD. Furthermore, the BDI-I overall showed good accuracy with adequate sensitivity and specificity. The optimal cut-off point was defined at 10. CONCLUSIONS: We provided evidence of the psychometric and diagnostic properties of the Spanish version of the BDI-I as a screening tool for depression in Spanish speaking PD patients, suggesting its usefulness in clinical research and practice.

Apathy and depression in amnestic and non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

INTRODUCTION: The information regarding neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with the main subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is inadequate. Indeed, it is unclear whether patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and those with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) are characterized by a different behavioral profile and whether the decline in the activities of daily living (ADL) is different between the two groups. Therefore, the main aim of the study is to describe the behavioral and functional profile of the two MCI subgroups and to determine whether apathy and depression are associated with functional autonomy. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with MCI were enrolled. Out of these, 37 were classified as aMCI while 31 as naMCI according to an extensive neuropsychological evaluation assessing memory, attention, executive functions, visuospatial abilities and language. Moreover, questionnaires assessing apathy, depression and functional autonomy were administered. RESULTS: aMCI patients showed more severe depressive symptoms when compared to naMCI ones, whereas no difference was found on apathy scores. The two subgroups achieved similar results in questionnaires assessing functional autonomy. CONCLUSION: Our results supported the clinical utility of the amnestic and non-amnestic distinction since a different cognitive and behavioral profile characterized the two MCI subtypes and, as a consequence, different treatments are needed.

Neuropsychological correlates of prospective memory: A comparison between tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease and cervical dystonia.

Cervical Dystonia (CD) and Parkinson's disease, particularly tremor-dominant motor phenotype (TD-PD), showed a selective deficit of time-based prospective memory (TBPM). The two movement disorders are mainly characterized by dysfunctions of basal-ganglia and prefrontal cortex but it is reported that cerebellum also plays a key role in their pathogenesis. These cerebral structures are specifically involved in TBPM rather than in event-based PM (EBPM), but until now no study directly compared these two components of PM between CD and TD-PD patients. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating if differences in PM functioning between CD and TD-PD patients might exist and if the type of movement disorder moderated the relationship between deficit of PM and deficit of executive functions and retrospective memory. Thirty TD-PD, 27CD patients and 29 healthy subjects (HCs), matched for demographic features, underwent neuropsychological tests for PM, executive functions, retrospective memory and self-rated questionnaires. The three groups did not differ on neuropsychological variables except for TBPM where TD-PD and CD patients performed worse than HCs; moreover, TD-PD performed worse than CD patients. Moderation analysis indicated that the type of movement disorder moderated the relationship between executive dysfunction and TBPM, but not EBPM. In conclusion, selective deficit of TBPM characterizes both CD and TD-PD but it is associated with executive dysfunction only in TD-PD. It might be possible to speculate that the involvement of the cerebellum, responsible for internal timing processes, could explain the impairment of TBPM in both movement disorders. This issue deserves to be explored in future neuroimaging studies.

Neuropsychological spectrum in early PD: Insights from controlled and automatic behavioural regulation.

Initial changes in Parkinson's disease (PD) are marked by loss of automatic movements and decline of some cognitive functions. Yet, the exact profile and extent of cognitive impairments in early stages of PD as well as their mechanisms related to automatic motor dysfunction remain unclear. Our objective was to examine the neuropsychological changes in early PD and their association to automatic and controlled modes of behavioural control. Significant relationships between early PD and cognitive dysfunction in set-shifting, abstraction ability/concept formation, processing speed, visuospatial/constructional abilities and verbal-visual memory was found. We also noted that tests with a strong effortful and controlled component were similarly affected as automatic tests by early PD, particularly those testing verbal memory, processing speed and visuospatial/constructional functions. Our findings indicate that initial stages of PD sets constraints over most of the cognitive domains normally assessed and are not easily explained in terms of either automatic or controlled mechanisms, as both appear similarly altered in early PD.