Objective: To define qualitative and quantitative differences of alexithymia and anhedonia among Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) with predominant parkinsonism (PSP-P), Richardson’s syndrome (PSP-RS) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients recruited within 24 months after the onset of motor symptoms.

Background: PSP and its variants, in particular PSP-RS and PSP-P, are characterized, since the early stage of illness, from several neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological symptoms. Among them, alexithymia and anhedonia have not been yet investigated.

Methods: One-hundred fifty five PD, 11 PSP-P and 14 PSP-RS patients were identified. All patients were submitted to the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 item (TAS-20) for evaluation of alexithymia and the Snaith Hamilton Pleasure (SHAPS) for assessment of hedonic tone.

Results: The three groups differed significantly at the TAS-20 scores. In particular, PSP-P and PSP-RS scored worse in the TAS-20 total in comparison to PD. Moreover, PSP-RS showed worse scores in F2 subscale than PD patients. Finally, in PSP-P and PSP-RS groups the frequency of alexithymia diagnosis was higher with respect to PD group.

Conclusions: Alexithymic symptoms are identifiable very early in PSP-P, and PSP-RS patients. These symptoms seem to differentiate PSP group from PD group but not the two subtypes of PSP. Altered emotional capability could be related to specific neurophysiological dysfunction occurring precociously in PSP, therefore its identification could orient the diagnosis toward PSP cases.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/affective-impairment-and-emotional-tone-of-early-richardsons-syndrome-and-progressive-supranuclear-palsy-with-predominant-parkinsonism-the-role-of-alexithymia-and-anhedonia/