[Early postoperative assessment of cognitive functions after stereotactic pallidotomy in patients with primary dystonia - preliminary results].

Background And Purpose: The newest studies notify that globus pallidus, besides the motor control, plays an important role in cognitive functioning of: memory, attention, linguistic skills, visuospatial ability, and executive functions. Stereotactic pallidotomy (the lesion of the motor region of the globus pallidus) is one of the surgery options that is used in the treatment of the primary dystonia. Motor region is located in the postero-ventral part of the internal globus pallidus.

Psychomotor and executive functioning after unilateral posteroventral pallidotomy in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The goal of the study was to explore the immediate effects of unilateral posteroventral stereotactic pallidotomy (PVP) on psychomotor and executive functioning in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The original drawing task, conducted on a digitizing tablet, and neuropsychological tests were administered to 25 patients with PD, 2 or 3 days before and after the surgery. To assess executive functions, the following tests were used: Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop Colour Interference Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).