Neuropsychiatric assessment of patients with hyperkinetic and
hypokinetic movement disorders [published erratum appears in Arch Neurol
1998 Dec;55(12):1591]
Source: Archives of Neurology
1998 Oct;55(10):1313-1319.
Author: Litvan I, Paulsen JS, Mega MS, Cummings JL. PubMed ID: 9779658
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The role of the basal ganglia in neuropsychiatric
behaviors is not well known. Anatomical, neurophysiological, and
neurochemical evidence supports the notion of parallel direct and
indirect basal ganglia thalamocortical motor systems, the differential
involvement of which accounts for the hypokinesia or hyperkinesia
observed in basal ganglia disorders. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the
neuropsychiatric manifestations of patients with a hyperkinetic movement
disorder, such as Huntington disease (HD), vs a hypokinetic disease,
such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). To verify if patients with
HD show a greater frequency of hyperactive behaviors (eg, agitation,
irritation, euphoria, or anxiety), while those with PSP exhibit
hypoactive behaviors (eg, apathy). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The
Neuropsychiatric Inventory, a tool with established validity and
reliability, was administered to 29 patients with HD (mean +/- SD age,
43.8 +/- 2 years) and 34 with PSP (mean +/- SD age, 66.6 +/- 1.2 years),
matched for education, symptom duration, and overall degree of dementia.
RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups in the total
Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores. However, there was a double
dissociation in behaviors: patients with HD exhibited significantly more
agitation (45%), irritability (38%), and anxiety (34%), whereas patients
with PSP exhibited more apathy (82%) (P < .01). Euphoria was present
only in patients with HD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that patients with HD
manifested predominantly hyperactive behaviors, while those with PSP
manifested hypoactive behaviors. Based on our findings and the
anatomical lesions known to occur in these disorders, we suggest that
the hyperactive behaviors in HD are secondary to an excitatory
subcortical output through the medial and orbitofrontal cortical
circuits, while in PSP the hypoactive behaviors are secondary to
hypostimulation