COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND AMYOTROPHIC-LATE RAL-SCLEROSIS

Typical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is described as a motoneur on disease which spared cognitive functions. Recent studies reported c ognitive impairment associated with classical ALS, Gallasi and al. (19 85) detect subtle cognitive impairment sparing memory in a population of 22 patients affected with sporadic motoneuron disease. Iwasaki and al. (1990) finds lower scores, including memory tests. Our study evalu ated 26 patients compared with 26 control subjects with neurophysiolog ical tests (rapid evaluation of cognitive function fluency Weschler ad ult intelligence scale, Wisconsin cards, Rey scheme, memory tests - Lu ria -, trail mailing, visual retentional test of Benton Violon Seyll t est). All the neuropsychological tests were significantly lower for th e patients group. The cognitive impairment is global: memory and front al functions were not spared and this impairment is also subtle. It ma y easily go undetected without tests. We cannot isolate a cortical or subcortical profile of the deterioration.