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Apathy and Reduced Speed of Processing Underlie Decline in Verbal Fluency following DBS

Foley, JA; Foltynie, T; Zrinzo, L; Hyam, JA; Limousin, P; Cipolotti, L; (2017) Apathy and Reduced Speed of Processing Underlie Decline in Verbal Fluency following DBS. Behavioural Neurology , 2017 , Article 7348101. 10.1155/2017/7348101. Green open access

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Abstract

Objective. Reduced verbal fluency is a strikingly uniform finding following deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The precise cognitive mechanism underlying this reduction remains unclear, but theories have suggested reduced motivation, linguistic skill, and/or executive function. It is of note, however, that previous reports have failed to consider the potential role of any changes in speed of processing. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine verbal fluency changes with a particular focus on the role of cognitive speed. Method. In this study, 28 patients with PD completed measures of verbal fluency, motivation, language, executive functioning, and speed of processing, before and after DBS. Results. As expected, there was a marked decline in verbal fluency but also in a timed test of executive functions and two measures of speed of processing. Verbal fluency decline was associated with markers of linguistic and executive functioning, but not after speed of processing was statistically controlled for. In contrast, greater decline in verbal fluency was associated with higher levels of apathy at baseline, which was not associated with changes in cognitive speed. Discussion. Reduced generativity and processing speed may account for the marked reduction in verbal fluency commonly observed following DBS.

Type: Article
Title: Apathy and Reduced Speed of Processing Underlie Decline in Verbal Fluency following DBS
Location: Netherlands
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1155/2017/7348101
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.1155/2017/7348101
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2017 Jennifer A. Foley et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Clinical and Movement Neurosciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1551718
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