Caterina Pauletti1, Daniela Mannarelli2, Maria Caterina De Lucia3, Nicoletta Locuratolo4, Antonio Currà5, Paolo Missori6, Lucio Marinelli7, Francesco Fattapposta8. 1. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: caterina.pauletti@uniroma1.it. 2. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.mannarelli@uniroma1.it. 3. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: marica.delucia@gmail.com. 4. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: nicoletta.locuratolo@gmail.com. 5. Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, A. Fiorini Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Via Firenze, 04019, Terracina, LT, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.curra@uniroma1.it. 6. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: missorp@yahoo.com. 7. Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), Largo Daneo 3, University of Genova, 16132, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: lucio.marinelli@unige.it. 8. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.fattapposta@uniroma1.it.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The traditional view of essential tremor (ET) as a monosymptomatic and benign disorder has been reconsidered after patients with ET have been shown to experience cognitive deficits that are also related to attention. The Attention Network Test (ANT) is a rapid, widely used test to measure the efficiency of three attentional networks, i.e. alerting, orienting and executive, by evaluating reaction times (RTs) in response to visual stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate attentional functioning in ET patients by means of the ANT. METHODS: 21 non-demented patients with ET and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls performed the ANT. RESULTS: RT was significantly longer in ET patients than in controls (p < 0.001). Moreover, a significant difference in alerting and executive efficiency (p = 0.003 and p = 0.01 respectively) was found between groups, while the difference in the orienting efficiency only bordered on significance. CONCLUSION: Our results point to a difficulty in the alerting and executive domains of attention in ET patients, probably owing to a dysfunction in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical loop. These selective attentional deficits are not related to clinical motor symptoms, contributing to shed further light on the clinical picture of ET.
INTRODUCTION: The traditional view of essential tremor (ET) as a monosymptomatic and benign disorder has been reconsidered after patients with ET have been shown to experience cognitive deficits that are also related to attention. The Attention Network Test (ANT) is a rapid, widely used test to measure the efficiency of three attentional networks, i.e. alerting, orienting and executive, by evaluating reaction times (RTs) in response to visual stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate attentional functioning in ET patients by means of the ANT. METHODS: 21 non-demented patients with ET and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls performed the ANT. RESULTS: RT was significantly longer in ET patients than in controls (p < 0.001). Moreover, a significant difference in alerting and executive efficiency (p = 0.003 and p = 0.01 respectively) was found between groups, while the difference in the orienting efficiency only bordered on significance. CONCLUSION: Our results point to a difficulty in the alerting and executive domains of attention in ET patients, probably owing to a dysfunction in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical loop. These selective attentional deficits are not related to clinical motor symptoms, contributing to shed further light on the clinical picture of ET.
Authors: Shelby Hughes; Daniel O Claassen; Wery P M van den Wildenberg; Fenna T Phibbs; Elise B Bradley; Scott A Wylie; Nelleke C van Wouwe Journal: J Int Neuropsychol Soc Date: 2018-12-03 Impact factor: 2.892
Authors: Jessi M Kane; Jessica L McDonnell; Joseph S Neimat; Peter Hedera; Wery P M van den Wildenberg; Fenna T Phibbs; Elise B Bradley; Scott A Wylie; Nelleke C van Wouwe Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2022-05-13 Impact factor: 2.064