NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF 5 PARKIN SONIAN-PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER NEURONAL GRAFT

Five patients with idiopathic PD were followed by neuropsychological t ests after brain fetal neuronal transplantation. The following tests w ere used in order to assess memory as well as visuospatial and frontal functions :MMSE, Mattis Scale, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop ta sk, word fluency tasks, 15-objects rest, WAIS-R (Digit span, Arithmeti c, Block design, Pictures completion, Pictures arrangement), learning of 15 words of Rey, WMS-R (Logical memory) and Visual memory of L. Isr ael. The same tests were peformed before, then one year following the transplantation. Pooled data did nor show any significant difference b etween pre and post-operative tests. Individual results varied among p atients : 2 remained unchanged, I had a pathological deterioration whi ch increased after one year I had some frontal symptoms whereas the la st patient improved. Our data confirm that this surgical procedure do not induce permanent neuropsychological deficits, bur do not indicate at the present time any clear effect of dopamine reinnervation on cogn itive functions.