P. Soliveri et al., Cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging aspects of corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy, NEUROLOGY, 53(3), 1999, pp. 502-507
Objective: To identify cognitive and MRI features important for the clinica
l diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear
palsy (PSP); these diseases share several clinical features and are often
difficult to distinguish on clinical grounds. Methods: Cognitive functions
and MRI characteristics were examined in 16 patients with CBD and 28 patien
ts with PSP, all diagnosed according to current clinical criteria (none was
examined by autopsy). Results: MRI findings differed significantly between
the two groups: 87.5% of patients with CBD but none with PSP had asymmetri
c frontoparietal atrophy, whereas 89.3% of patients with PSP but only 6.3%
of those with CBD had midbrain atrophy. Cognitive examination showed that i
deomotor apraxia (De Renzi's test) was significantly more frequent in CBD,
and executive functions (Nelson's test) were significantly more impaired in
patients with PSP. Conclusions: MRI findings of asymmetric frontoparietal
atrophy in CBD and midbrain atrophy in PSP are the most consistent and usef
ul aids to careful clinical evaluation for differentiating between the two
diseases.