Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
12-2008
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology
Committee Chair
Litvan, Irene
Subject
Parkinson's disease--Patients; Neurobehavioral disorders; Caregivers
Abstract
The goal of this thesis is to determine if neuropsychiatric features can differentiate parkinsonian patients with: tauopathies from those with alpha-synucleinopathies and explore caregiver distress. Three hundred and four patients (62 with tauopathies and 242 with alpha-synucleinopathies) diagnosed according to published diagnostic criteria were evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). To control for between-group differences a subsample of 235 patients were analyzed. Patients with tauopathies had significantly higher NPI total scores, more apathy, less hallucinations, lower MMSE scores and higher UPDRS scores than those with alpha-synucleinopathies. Hallucinations and delusions were not related to levodopa or dopamine agonist daily doses, but increased age was associated with these disturbances. There were moderate correlations between caregiver distress and severity of neuropsychiatric disturbances. Despite between-group neuropsychiatric differences at early stages, the symptom overlap does not allow to classify patients with these two proteinopathies.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Megan Rayne 1985-, "Neuropsychiatric features of parkinsonian tauopathies and alpha-synucleinopathies." (2008). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1436.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1436
