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Visuospatial attention disturbance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Maria Clara Drummond Soares de Moura1, Luiz Eduardo Ribeiro Do Valle, Maria Bernadete Dutra Resende
1Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. mclaramoura@usp.br
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) show delayed maturation of voluntary attention. While automatic attention is unaffected, voluntary attention mechanisms in DMD are significantly impaired, resembling those of younger children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with cognitive deficits that are not fully understood.
- Attention, crucial for sensory stimulus selection, may be impaired in DMD, contributing to global cognitive deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate attentional function in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
- To compare automatic and voluntary attention mechanisms between males with DMD and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A visuospatial Posner computerized test was administered to 25 males with DMD and 25 healthy males.
- Participants responded to lateralized visual targets, with attention cued either automatically or voluntarily.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in automatic attention effects was observed between groups (p=0.846).
- Individuals with DMD exhibited a significantly larger effect for voluntary attention compared to controls (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- The heightened voluntary attentional effect in DMD suggests delayed maturation of these cognitive mechanisms.
- These findings indicate specific deficits in voluntary attention associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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