Visuo-spatial processing in Parkinson's disease: evidence for diminished visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive resources

• Published in: Parkinsonism & related disorders 2005-05, Vol.11 (3), p.181-186
• Main Authors: Kemps, Eva, Szmalec, Arnaud, Vandierendonck, André, Crevits, Luc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Central executive; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Male; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Psychomotor Performance; Severity of Illness Index; Space Perception - physiology; Visuo-spatial processing; Visuo-spatial sketch pad; Working memory
• ISSN: 1353-8020; 1873-5126
• DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2004.10.010

A dual-task study compared the visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive components of working memory as potential cognitive mechanisms of visuo-spatial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Mildly to moderately affected Parkinsonian patients ( n=15) and controls ( n=15) performed the Corsi blocks task concurrently with tasks designed to load on the visuo-spatial sketch pad (spatial tapping) or the central executive (random interval repetition). Patients performed more poorly in both concurrent task conditions, implicating a reduction in both visuo-spatial sketch pad and central executive resources. The impact of the concurrent tasks varied with disease severity, with the central executive deficit prominent at disease onset, but the visuo-spatial sketch pad deficit becoming apparent only in the moderate stages of the illness.