Neuropsychological trends in the parkinsonism-plus syndrome: a pilot study.

Parkinsonism-Plus Syndrome (PPS) is a rare, degenerative disorder involving the subcortical structures of the brain. Little is known of the cognitive impairment, if any, that accompanies this syndrome. Initially PPS patients were thought to be cognitively intact; however, more recent research has suggested the presence of a frontal-lobe-like syndrome of intellectual deterioration. A battery of neuropsychological tests sensitive to subcortical dementia and frontal lobe deficit was administered to 4 female PPS patients aged between 35-49 years. The results of this pilot study indicated a distinct profile of memory dysfunction in PPS. The pattern observed differs from that seen in cortical disorders but is similar to that found in subcortical disorders. The hypothesis that a prominent frontal-lobe-like deficit exists in PPS was not supported.