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Longitudinal cognitive outcomes in two progressive supranuclear palsy clinical trials
Zoë C Cooper1, Indira Garcia-Cordero2,3, Maria Carmela Tartaglia4,5
1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Summary
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) significantly impacts cognitive functions like executive function and fluency over time. Memory functions remain relatively preserved in individuals with PSP.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuropsychology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease impacting cognition, executive function, and behavior.
- Understanding longitudinal cognitive changes in PSP is crucial for patient management and therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess cognitive changes in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).
- To identify specific cognitive domains most affected by PSP progression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 486 and 377 participants in the PASSPORT and tilavonemab clinical trials, respectively.
- Employed linear mixed models to analyze changes in RBANS subtest scores over time.
- Controlled for disease duration, age, sex, and treatment group in the analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant declines were observed in visuospatial function (figure copy, figure recall), executive function (Color Trails, coding), and fluency (semantic fluency).
- Cognitive decline magnitude was reduced when controlling for motor and ocular motor disability.
- Memory-related subtests (story recall, story memory, list recall, list recognition) showed minimal or no decline.
Conclusions:
- Cognition in PSP is characterized by progressive declines in executive function, visuospatial abilities, and fluency.
- Memory functions appear relatively preserved in the course of PSP.
- These findings highlight specific cognitive targets for future interventions in PSP.
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