Neuropsychological changes in olivopontocerebellar atrophy
S. Berent, B. Giordani, S. Gilman, L. Junck, S. Lehtinen, D. S. Markel, M. Boivin, K. J. Kluin, R. Parks and R. A. Koeppe
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
We used standardized neuropsychological measures of intellectual,
cognitive, psychomotor, and emotional functioning to compare 39 patients
with olivopontocerebellar atrophy and 25 normal controls of similar age.
The patients reflected greater depression, anxiety, and subjective
emotional discomfort than did the control subjects. While 4 of the patients
had below-normal IQ scores (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS-R]
Full-Scale IQ [FSIQ] less than 80), their clinical histories suggested
lifelong functioning at such levels. As a group, the patients were not
abnormal in general intellectual functioning and related cognitive
abilities (WAIS-R FSIQ, mean [+/- SD], 93.46 +/- 13.19; Wechsler Memory
Scale mental quotient, 108.95 +/- 17.43). These scores were lower than
those of the normal controls (WAIS-R FSIQ, 113.72 +/- 12.68; mental
quotient, 127.80 +/- 12.40); however, the controls were a highly educated
group with intelligence levels that were higher than those of the average
population. Moreover, when education and motor dysfunction were
statistically covaried, no significant differences between the patients and
the normal controls were apparent on the cognitive and intellectual tasks.
Further analysis of specific memory performance in a subgroup of patients
and controls matched for age, sex, and education yielded findings that were
comparable with the overall group analysis. We conclude that motor
dysfunction and depressed mood could leave patients with
olivopontocerebellar atrophy appearing to be impaired in memory, even
demented, when they are not.
