Objective: To describe distinct type of errors and frequency of perseverative errors in executive, memory, language, and attentional tasks in PSP and PD.

Background: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) share overlapping cognitive and behavioral changes including attention and executive functioning resulting in challenging differential diagnosis at early disease stage. However, differences in inhibitory control may be the key to distinction within those cognitive domains.

Method: PSP and PD patients matched by disease duration and age were assessed with a neuropsychological battery including cognitive flexibility, memory, language, processing speed and performance on attentional tasks.

Results: 31 patients with PSP and 21 with PD were evaluated (PSP: 74.58±8.18 years; PD: 68.85±9.61 years), with no significant differences in age (U-Mann-Whitney =230; p=.07), in sex distribution (female: PSP: 54.8% vs PD: 33.3%; χ² = 2.33; p= .127). PSP patients exhibited significantly poorer performance in semantic verbal fluency (U-Mann-Whitney =131, p<.001), digit span (U-Mann-Whitney =79.5; p<.001), processing speed (T=-2.13; p=.04), memory encoding (U-Mann-Whitney =198; p=.02). A higher frequency of perseverative errors was found in PSP compared with PD (U-Mann-Whitney =32; p=.06). To account for attentional deficits, a General Attention Score was developed, enhancing the reliability of the observed differences.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the diagnostic value of perseverative errors in a set of tests used in routine neuropsychological assessments. Particularly, errors in tasks assessing cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control offer a valuable tool to early differentiation of PSP from early PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/changes-in-inhibitory-control-differentiate-progressive-supranuclear-palsy-from-early-parkinsons-disease/