Frontal assessment battery scores and non-motor symptoms in parkinsonian disorders

Using data from the PRIAMO study, we investigated non-motor symptoms (NMS) versus frontal lobe dysfunction in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD); 808 patients with PD and 118 with atypical parkinsonisms (AP) were consecutively enrolled at 55 Centers in Italy. Twelve categories of NMS were investigated. Cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental Status Evaluation score B23.8 and frontal lobe dysfunction as a Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) score B13.48. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictor of frontal lobe dysfunction in 524 PD patients, and a generalized linear model was used for each of the six FAB items. Not only the total FAB scores but also the single FAB items were lower in AP versus PD (p ≤ 0.005). Age (OR = 1.05), cognitive impairment (OR = 9.54), lack of cardiovascular symptoms (OR = 3.25), attention or memory problems (OR = 0.59) and treatment with L-DOPA (OR = 5.58) were predictors of frontal lobe dysfunction. MMSE was negatively associated with all FAB items (≤ B -0.16) and age with all FAB items but prehension On behalf of the PRIAMO study group. behavior (≤ B -0.01). Previous use of L-DOPA was. © 2011 Springer-Verlag. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.