Programming Algorithm for the Management of Speech Impairment in Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for Parkinson's disease (PD) has an ambiguous relation to speech. Speech impairment can be a stimulation-induced side effect, and parkinsonian dysarthria can improve with STN-DBS. Owing to the lack of an up-to-date and evidence-based approach, DBS reprogramming for speech impairment is largely blind and greatly relies on the physician's experience. In this study, we aimed to establish an evidence- and experience-based algorithm for managing speech impairment in patients with PD treated with STN-DBS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective study to identify patients with STN-DBS and speech impairment. Onset of speech impairment, lead localization, and assessment of DBS-induced nature of speech impairment were collected. When DBS settings were adjusted for improving speech, the magnitude and duration of effect were collected. We also performed a systematic literature review to identify studies describing the effects of parameter adjustments aimed at improving speech impairment in patients with PD receiving STN-DBS. RESULTS: In the retrospective study, 245 of 631 patients (38.8%) with STN-DBS had significant speech impairment. The probability of sustained marked improvement upon reprogramming was generally low (27.9%). In the systematic review, 23 of 662 identified studies were included. Only two randomized controlled trials have been performed, providing evidence for interleaving-interlink stimulation only. Considerable methodologic heterogeneity precluded the conduction of a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Speech impairment in STN-DBS for PD is frequent, but high-quality evidence regarding DBS parameter adjustments is scarce, and the probability of sustained improvement is low. To improve this outcome, we propose an evidence- and experience-based approach to address speech impairment in STN-DBS that can be used in clinical practice.

The development of the Screening of Visual Complaints questionnaire for patients with neurodegenerative disorders: Evaluation of psychometric features in a community sample.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with neurodegenerative disorders often experience impairments in visual function. In research and clinical care, visual problems are primarily understood as objective visual impairments. Subjective complaints, referring to complaints from a patient's perspective, receive less attention, while they are of utmost clinical importance to guide assessment and rehabilitation. A 21-item Screening of Visual Complaints questionnaire (SVC) was developed for the assessment of subjective visual complaints in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. This prospective study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SVC in a large community sample. METHODS: A stratified convenience sample of 1,461 healthy Dutch participants (18-95 years) without severe self-reported neurological, ophthalmological or psychiatric conditions completed the SVC, Cerebral Visual Complaints questionnaire (CVC-q), National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-A (BRIEF-A), Questionnaire for Experiences of Attention Deficits (Fragebogen erlebter Defizite der Aufmerkzamkeit; FEDA), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Structured Inventory for Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) online. After two weeks, 66 participants completed the SVC again. We evaluated the factor structure, internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and test-retest reliability of the SVC. RESULTS: The sample was split in two subsamples to perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In the first subsample, the exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors from the SVC: diminished visual perception, altered visual perception and ocular discomfort. The confirmatory factor analysis showed this model to be valid in the second subsample. The SVC showed satisfactory convergent validity (NEI-VFQ-25: r = -0.71; CVC-q: r = 0.84) and divergent validity (SIMS: r = 0.26; BRIEF-A: r = 0.29; FEDA: r = 0.40; DASS-21: r = 0.34) and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: The SVC is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of subjective visual complaints in a community sample and appears promising for clinical use in patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

Neuropsychological assessment of adults with ADHD: A Delphi consensus study.

Within the clinical evaluation of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cognitive functions are often assessed to characterize individual cognitive problems and guide treatment planning. However, the composition of an adequate neuropsychological assessment battery remains difficult given the large number of cognitive functions that can be distinguished, the variety of available tools to assess these functions, as well as the cognitive heterogeneity that has been observed between individuals with ADHD. Twenty-seven clinicians and researchers experienced in working with adults with ADHD took part in the present study. This study employed the Delphi methodology in order to compose an assessment battery for the measurement of the most important neuropsychological functions by employing the most suitable measures to assess these functions. Consensus between experts was achieved on a ranking of 16 neuropsychological functions that are important for the neuropsychological assessment of adults with ADHD. Furthermore, measures were suggested to assess each of the neuropsychological functions. The assessment battery as composed in the present study may support research and clinical practice in the selection of appropriate functions and measures for the determination of the individual level of cognitive functioning and treatment planning of adults with ADHD.

Perception in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A large body of research demonstrated that individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from various neuropsychological deficits. In contrast, less is known and only divergent evidence exists on perceptual functions of individuals with ADHD. This is problematic as neuropsychological and perceptual functions are closely interrelated and are often difficult to disentangle in behavioral assessments. This study presents the conduct and results of a systematic literature review on perceptual functions in children and adults with ADHD. This review considers studies using psychophysical methods (objective measurements) and self- and informant reports (subjective measurements). Results indicate that individuals with ADHD have altered perceptual functions in various domains as compared to typically developing individuals. Increased perceptual functions in individuals with ADHD were found with regard to olfactory detection thresholds, whereas reduced perceptual functions were evident for aspects of visual and speech perception. Moreover, individuals with ADHD were found to experience discomfort to sensory stimuli at a lower level than typically developing individuals. Alterations of perceptual functions in individuals with ADHD were shown to be moderated by various factors, such as pharmacological treatment, cognitive functions, and symptom severity. We conclude by giving implications for daily life functioning and clinical practice.