Presence or absence of cognitive complaints in Parkinson's disease: mood disorder or anosognosia?

We intended to evaluate whether non-demented Parkinsons's disease (PD) patients, with or without subjective cognitive complaint, demonstrate differences between them and in comparison to controls concerning cognitive performance and mood. We evaluated 77 subjects between 30 and 70 years, divided as follows: PD without cognitive complaints (n = 31), PD with cognitive complaints (n = 21) and controls (n = 25). We applied the following tests: SCOPA-Cog, Trail Making Test-B, Phonemic Fluency, Clock Drawing Test, Boston Naming Test, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Beck Depression Inventory.

Cognitive and olfactory deficits in Machado-Joseph disease: a dopamine transporter study.

Cognitive and olfactory impairments have been demonstrated in patients with Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), and a possible relationship with dopaminergic dysfunction is implicated. However, there is still controversy regarding the pattern of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction in patients with MJD. In this study, we investigated whether these patients had different dopamine transporter (DAT) densities as compared to healthy subjects, and correlated these data with cognitive performance and sense of smell.

Cognitive deficits in Machado-Joseph disease correlate with hypoperfusion of visual system areas.

Cognitive and olfactory impairments have previously been demonstrated in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)-SCA3/MJD. We investigated changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in a cohort of Brazilian patients with SCA3/MJD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation among rCBF, cognitive deficits, and olfactory dysfunction in SCA3/MJD.

Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome in Machado Joseph disease: core clinical features.

The cerebellum is no longer considered a purely motor control device, and convincing evidence has demonstrated its relationship to cognitive and emotional neural circuits. The aims of the present study were to establish the core cognitive features in our patient population and to determine the presence of Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome (CCAS) in this group. We recruited 38 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) or Machado–Joseph disease (MJD)-SCA3/MJD and 31 controls.

[Cross-cultural adaptation of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD)].

The original version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD) was translated into Portuguese and back translated to English. The divergences of translation were identified and discussed, resulting in a version that was used in a preliminary investigation for cross-cultural adaptation. The final version was administered to 29 patients with mild to moderate probable Alzheimer's disease.

[Brazilian version of the Cornell depression scale in dementia].

Objective: Translating and adapting the Cornell scale for depression in dementia to the Portuguese language and verifying the interrater and test-retest reliability of the translated and adapted version.

Method: The Cornell scale was translated into Portuguese and back translated into English. Divergences of translation were identified and discussed, resulting in a version which was submitted to a pre-test for cross-cultural adaptation.

Comparison between neuropsychological evaluation instruments for severe dementia.

Objective: To study the correlation between two tools for cognitive evaluation, Mini-Mental State Examination-severe (MMSE-s) and Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), and the Bristol Daily Activities Functional Scale.

Method: 50 patients from the Behavioral Neurology Section--EPM-UNIFESP--were evaluated. Mean age was 76.