Pitch perception deficits in nonverbal learning disability.

The nonverbal learning disability (NLD) is a neurological dysfunction that affects cognitive functions predominantly related to the right hemisphere such as spatial and abstract reasoning. Previous evidence in healthy adults suggests that acoustic pitch (i.e., the relative difference in frequency between sounds) is, under certain conditions, encoded in specific areas of the right hemisphere that also encode the spatial elevation of external objects (e.g., high vs. low position). Taking this evidence into account, we explored the perception of pitch in preadolescents and adolescents with NLD and in a group of healthy participants matched by age, gender, musical knowledge and handedness. Participants performed four speeded tests: a stimulus detection test and three perceptual categorization tests based on colour, spatial position and pitch. Results revealed that both groups were equally fast at detecting visual targets and categorizing visual stimuli according to their colour. In contrast, the NLD group showed slower responses than the control group when categorizing space (direction of a visual object) and pitch (direction of a change in sound frequency). This pattern of results suggests the presence of a subtle deficit at judging pitch in NLD along with the traditionally-described difficulties in spatial processing.

Validez discriminativa y asociación del test minimental (MMSE) y del test de alteración de memoria (T@M) con una batería neuropsicológica en pacientes con deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico y enfermedad de Alzheimer / Discriminatory validity and associationof the mini-mental test (MMSE) and the memory alteration test (M@T) with a neuropsychological battery in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impariment and alzeimer´s disease

Objetivos. Establecer la validez discriminativa del test minimental (MMSE) y del test de alteración de memoria (T@M) para el diagnóstico del deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico (DCLa) y la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) probable, y estudiarla asociación entre los resultados obtenidos en pruebas de cribado, una batería neuropsicológica y un cuestionario funcional en personas sanas y en pacientes con DCLa y EA. Sujetos y métodos. Se evaluó a 27 controles normales, 27 pacientes con DCLa y 35 pacientes con EA con el MMSE y con un test de cribado de memoria, el T@M, una batería neuropsicológica y un cuestionario de actividades funcionales de la vida diaria. Los coeficientes de correlación de Pearson se utilizaron para evaluar las relaciones entre las puntuaciones del T@M y el MMSE y los test neuropsicológicos. Se calcularon las áreas bajo la curva, la sensibilidad y la especificidad para los test de cribado. Resultados. En los pacientes con DCLa, las puntuaciones en el T@M y el MMSE resultaron estar fuertemente asociadas con el rendimiento de test de memoria episódica de las pruebas frontales y con las puntuaciones del cuestionario funcional, pero no con pruebas que evaluaban praxias y funciones perceptivas. En los pacientes con EA, las puntuaciones en el T@M y el MMSE se asociaron con resultados en memoria semántica, lenguaje, funciones ejecutivas y praxias, pero no con pruebas perceptivas y cuestionarios funcionales. Conclusiones. En pacientes con DCLa y EA, la asociación entre el MMSE y el T@M solamente correlaciona con algunas funciones cognitivas, sin que exista asociación con otras funciones cognitivas. Por lo tanto, los test de cribado no pueden utilizarse como único instrumento para evaluar el estado cognitivo en pacientes con sospecha de demencia (AU)

Aims. To establish the discriminatory validity of the mini-mental test (MMSE) and the memory alteration test (M@T) for the diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and also to study the association between the results obtained in screening tests, a neuropsychological battery and a functional questionnaire in healthy persons and in patients with aMCI and AD. Subjects and methods.We evaluated 27 normal controls, 27 patients with aMCI and 35 patients with AD using the MMSE and a memory screening test, the M@T, a neuropsychological battery and a questionnaire on functional activities of daily living. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the relations between the scores on the M@T and the MMSE and the neuropsychological tests. The area below the curve, the sensitivity and the specificity were calculated for the screening tests. Results. In patients with aMCI, the scores on the M@T and the MMSE were strongly associated with the performance in the episodic memory tests in frontal tests and with the scores on the functional questionnaire, but not with tests that evaluated praxias and perceptive functions. In patients with AD, the scores on the M@T and the MMSE were associated with results in semantic memory, language, executive functions and praxias, but not with perceptive tests and functional questionnaires. Conclusions. In patients with aMCI and AD, the association between MMSE and M@T only correlate with some cognitive functions, without there being any association with other cognitive functions. Therefore, screening tests cannot be used as the only instrument for evaluating the cognitive status in patients with suspected dementia (AU)

[Discriminatory validity and association of the mini-mental test (MMSE) and the memory alteration test (M@T) with a neuropsychological battery in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease]. / Validez discriminativa y asociación del test minimental (MMSE) y del test de alteración de memoria (T@M) con una batería neuropsicológica en pacientes con deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico y enfermedad de Alzheimer.

AIMS: To establish the discriminatory validity of the mini-mental test (MMSE) and the memory alteration test (M@T) for the diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), and also to study the association between the results obtained in screening tests, a neuropsychological battery and a functional questionnaire in healthy persons and in patients with aMCI and AD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 27 normal controls, 27 patients with aMCI and 35 patients with AD using the MMSE and a memory screening test, the M@T, a neuropsychological battery and a questionnaire on functional activities of daily living. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the relations between the scores on the M@T and the MMSE and the neuropsychological tests. The area below the curve, the sensitivity and the specificity were calculated for the screening tests. RESULTS: In patients with aMCI, the scores on the M@T and the MMSE were strongly associated with the performance in the episodic memory tests in frontal tests and with the scores on the functional questionnaire, but not with tests that evaluated praxias and perceptive functions. In patients with AD, the scores on the M@T and the MMSE were associated with results in semantic memory, language, executive functions and praxias, but not with perceptive tests and functional questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with aMCI and AD, the association between MMSE and M@T only correlate with some cognitive functions, without there being any association with other cognitive functions. Therefore, screening tests cannot be used as the only instrument for evaluating the cognitive status in patients with suspected dementia.

[Posterior cortical atrophy. Its neuropsychological profile and differences from typical Alzheimer's disease]. / Atrofia cortical posterior. Perfil neuropsicológico y diferencias con la enfermedad de Alzheimer típica.

INTRODUCTION: The term 'posterior cortical atrophy' (PCA) refers to a neurodegenerative syndrome that is characterised by progressive alteration of the higher visual-perceptual and/or visual-spatial functions, which often presents Alzheimer's disease (AD). AIM: To describe the value of neuropsychological tests in the differential diagnosis of patients with PCA versus patients with typical AD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample was made up of four patients with PCA, four patients with initial typical AD with no significant differences in the degree of cognitive impairment according to the Minimental State Examination and seven cognitively healthy controls. Subjects were administered a full neuropsychological battery of tests for memory, language, praxias, executive functions, and visual-perceptual and visual-spatial capacities. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric tests and independent samples. RESULTS: In the neuropsychological study, scores were significantly lower in the group with PCA compared to the control group in verbal comprehension, praxias and visual gnosias (p < 0.05), and significantly higher with respect to the group with typical AD in episodic memory tests (p < 0.05). In contrast, patients with PCA had a significantly lower score in comparison to typical AD in visual-perceptive and visual-spatial tests (p < 0.05), and in constructive praxias (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results in the neuropsychological tests show subjects with PCA and typical AD have different cognitive profiles, and are useful in the differential diagnosis of the two clinical variants.

Atrofia cortical posterior. Perfil neuropsicológico y diferencias con la enfermedad de Alzheimer típica / Posterior Cortical Atrophy. Its Neuropsychological profile and differences form typical alzheimer´s disease

Introducción. El término 'atrofia cortical posterior' (ACP) hace referencia a un síndrome neurodegenerativo caracterizado or una alteración progresiva de las funciones visuoperceptivas y/o visuoespaciales superiores, que frecuentemente presenta patología de enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA). Objetivo. Describir la utilidad de las pruebas neuropsicológicas en el diagnóstico diferencial de los pacientes con ACP frente a pacientes con EA típica. Sujetos y métodos. La muestra estaba formada por cuatro pacientes con ACP, cuatro pacientes con EA típica inicial sin diferencias significativas en el grado de deterioro cognitivo según el Minimental State Examination y siete controles cognitivamente sanos. Se administró una batería neuropsicológica completa que incluía test de memoria, lenguaje, praxias, función ejecutiva y las capacidades visuoperceptivas y visuoespaciales. En el análisis estadístico se utilizó la U de Mann-Whitney para pruebas no paramétricas y muestras independientes. Resultados. El estudio neuropsicológico mostró puntuaciones significativamente inferiores del grupo con ACP frente al grupo control en comprensión verbal, praxias y gnosias visuales (p < 0,05), y significativamente superiores respecto al grupo de EA típica en pruebas de memoria episódica (p < 0,05). Por el contrario, los pacientes con ACP tuvieron una puntuación significativamente inferior frente a la EA típica en pruebas visuoperceptivas y visuoespaciales (p < 0,05) y en las praxias constructivas (p < 0,05). Conclusión. Los resultados en las pruebas neuropsicológicas muestran diferentes perfiles cognitivos entre los sujetos con ACP y EA típica, y son útiles en el diagnóstico diferencial entre ambas variantes clínicas (AU)

Introduction. The term 'posterior cortical atrophy' (PCA) refers to a neurodegenerative syndrome that is characterised by progressive alteration of the higher visual-perceptual and/or visual-spatial functions, which often presents Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aim. To describe the value of neuropsychological tests in the differential diagnosis of patients with PCA versus patients with typical AD. Subjects and methods. The sample was made up of four patients with PCA, four patients with initial typical AD with no significant differences in the degree of cognitive impairment according to the Minimental State Examination and seven cognitively healthy controls. Subjects were administered a full neuropsychological battery of tests for memory, language, praxias, executive functions, and visual-perceptual and visual-spatial capacities. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric tests and independent samples. Results. In the neuropsychological study, scores were significantly lower in the group with PCA compared to the control group in verbal comprehension, praxias and visual gnosias (p < 0.05), and significantly higher with respect to the group with typical AD in episodic memory tests (p < 0.05). In contrast, patients with PCA had a significantly lower score in comparison to typical AD in visual-perceptive and visual-spatial tests (p < 0.05), and in constructive praxias (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Results in the neuropsychological tests show subjects with PCA and typical AD have different cognitive profiles, and are useful in the differential diagnosis of the two clinical variants (AU)

Naming is associated with left temporal pole metabolite levels in neurodegenerative diseases.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between performance in language tests and levels of brain metabolites in two selected left temporal lobe regions. METHODS: Ninety-five subjects were included: 26 controls, 30 amnestic mild cognitive impairment subjects, 27 Alzheimer's disease and 12 frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) patients. Language was assessed by a naming test: Boston Naming Test (BNT) and by a semantic verbal fluency test. Other cognitive functions: verbal and visual memory, visual perception, attention and executive function, and praxis were also assessed. Single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy was obtained in the left temporal pole (L-TPOLE), and in the left posterior temporoparietal region (L-TPAR). RESULTS: BNT scores were significantly associated with N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratios (r = 0.45; p < 0.001) and choline/creatine ratios (r = 0.33; p < 0.005) in the L-TPOLE. No significant associations were found between BNT and metabolite levels in the L-TPAR. No significant associations were found between the semantic verbal fluency test and other cognitive tests and metabolite levels either in the L-TPOLE or in the L-TPAR. CONCLUSION: Naming performance is related to metabolite levels in the anterior L-TPOLE.