Estefânia Harsányi1, Janaina Moreira2, Arthur Kummer3, Zilda Maria Alves Meira4, Francisco Cardoso5, Antonio L Teixeira2. 1. Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 2. Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 3. Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Electronic address: r2kummer@hotmail.com. 4. Pediatric Cardiology Clinic, University Hospital, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 5. Movement Disorders Clinic, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric comorbidities are frequent in Sydenham chorea. However, cognitive impairment in Sydenham chorea has not been sufficiently described. The objective of this study was to evaluate expressive and receptive language deficits in adolescents with Sydenham chorea. METHODS: Twenty patients with Sydenham chorea were compared with 20 patients with rheumatic fever without chorea and 20 healthy controls. Participants were matched for age and gender. Participants were assessed with verbal fluency tasks (phonemic and semantic) and with verbal comprehension tasks (Token Test). Patients with Sydenham chorea were also assessed with the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Sydenham Chorea Rating Scale. RESULTS: Performance in verbal fluency and in verbal comprehension tasks differed significantly (P < 0.01) among the three groups. Patients with Sydenham chorea performed significantly worse than healthy control group in phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks as well as in the Token Test. The group with rheumatic fever also performed worse than healthy controls in phonemic verbal fluency. Severity of motor signs in Sydenham chorea inversely correlated with performance in phonemic verbal fluency (words beginning with letter S, and total sum of words beginning with letters F, A, and S). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with Sydenham chorea show difficulties in verbal fluency and in verbal comprehension. Patients with rheumatic fever also have some degree of language impairment. Future studies must investigate language impairment in difference stages of Sydenham chorea (acute, persistent, and remission) and putative biological markers.
BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric comorbidities are frequent in Sydenham chorea. However, cognitive impairment in Sydenham chorea has not been sufficiently described. The objective of this study was to evaluate expressive and receptive language deficits in adolescents with Sydenham chorea. METHODS: Twenty patients with Sydenham chorea were compared with 20 patients with rheumatic fever without chorea and 20 healthy controls. Participants were matched for age and gender. Participants were assessed with verbal fluency tasks (phonemic and semantic) and with verbal comprehension tasks (Token Test). Patients with Sydenham chorea were also assessed with the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Sydenham Chorea Rating Scale. RESULTS: Performance in verbal fluency and in verbal comprehension tasks differed significantly (P < 0.01) among the three groups. Patients with Sydenham chorea performed significantly worse than healthy control group in phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks as well as in the Token Test. The group with rheumatic fever also performed worse than healthy controls in phonemic verbal fluency. Severity of motor signs in Sydenham chorea inversely correlated with performance in phonemic verbal fluency (words beginning with letter S, and total sum of words beginning with letters F, A, and S). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with Sydenham chorea show difficulties in verbal fluency and in verbal comprehension. Patients with rheumatic fever also have some degree of language impairment. Future studies must investigate language impairment in difference stages of Sydenham chorea (acute, persistent, and remission) and putative biological markers.
Authors: Luiz Paulo Bastos Vasconcelos; Marcelle Cristina da Silva Bastos Vasconcelos; Francisco Biagio Murta E Di Flora; Flávio Augusto Paes de Oliveira; Pedro Drummond Lima; Lucas Campos Barbosa E Silva; Breno Camargos Mucelli Spolaor; José Luiz Padilha da Silva; William Antônio de Magalhães Esteves; Maria Carmo P Nunes; Antônio Lúcio Teixeira Journal: Glob Heart Date: 2022-08-29