Neuropsychological profile of primary parkinsonism among Filipinos
Ledesma, L.K.; Nicdao, S.T.; Dantes, M.B.; Perez, M.C.
Advances in Neurology 45: 421-424
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0091-3952 PMID: 3825720 Document Number: 290279
In summary then, the neuropsychological profile of Filipino parkinsonians reveals deficits in visuospatial processing, social judgment, attention and mental tracking, recent memory and word retrieval, aside from predicted difficulty in fine motor activities which would result in a deterioration of their penmanship. The frequency of dementia with this sample is comparable to that reported in other studies. Possibly due to the small sample size, no significant correlations were obtained between the severity of illness and dementia. Why two of the ten subjects seen for follow-up improved their scores on neuropsychological testing cannot be ascertained at this time. However, it underscores the importance of long-term monitoring to gain a better understanding of the relationship between Parkinson's disease and higher mental processes. We intend to continue conducting follow-up studies and hope that, with a larger sample, we can establish trends that will assist us in the holistic management of this condition.