| Popis: |
We systematically investigated the cognitive performances of a large series of patients with Sneddon's syndrome (SS) and their relation to clinical or instrumental parameters. We evaluated twenty-one patients with idiopathic generalized livedo reticularis and neurological symptoms and signs consistent with cerebrovascular disease, comparing their cognitive performances with those of the same number of matched normal controls. The patients underwent dermatological evaluation with skin biopsy, biochemical tests including anticardiolipin antibodies, neurological and neuroimaging investigations. Only three patients were classifiable as demented, but all the others showed multiple or few cognitive disorders (nine patients for each group, respectively). Both patients and controls were examined by neuropsychological tests investigating mental deterioration, executive functions, memory and instrumental abilities. The group with few cognitive disorders performed significantly worse with respect to the controls in copy design, verbal fluency, immediate visual memory and forward and reverse digit span. In the whole group of SS patients, cognitive involvement was correlated with neurological focal signs and neuroradiological focal alterations. These data suggest a constant cognitive involvement in SS, to varying degrees, which is more often mild and subclinical. The prominent visual–constructive, attentional and working memory dysfunctions which were detected in our series point to a subcortical pattern. |
Plný text