Visuoconstructional impairment in DM1: exploring underlying cognitive processes through the Rey complex figure

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Neurology

Background:

• Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is associated with cognitive difficulties, particularly visuoconstructional impairment.
• The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) is a key tool for assessing these deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze DM1 patients' performance on the RCFT compared to healthy controls (HC).
• To explore cognitive processes underlying poor RCFT performance using different scoring systems.
• To investigate associations between RCFT performance and other DM1 signs and symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Included 66 DM1 patients and 68 HC undergoing comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.
• Administered the RCFT scored using traditional Osterrieth and Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS) methods.
• Utilized ANCOVA and Spearman's correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• DM1 patients scored significantly lower than HC on the RCFT with both scoring systems.
• DM1 patients showed deficits in Copy Presence Accuracy (CPA) and Organization (ORG) via BQSS, including configural accuracy, planning, and perseveration.
• Both RCFT indexes, especially CPA, strongly correlated with clinical and cognitive variables in DM1.

Conclusions:

• Visuoconstruction and organizational impairments contribute to poor RCFT performance in DM1.
• Visuoconstruction ability is sensitive to DM1's clinical hallmarks.
• The RCFT is recommended as a gold standard for DM1 assessment, with BQSS offering valuable insights.