[Assessment for intelligence on patients with Pick's disease]

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Neurology
• Cognitive Science

Context:

• Pick's disease, a form of frontotemporal dementia, presents diagnostic challenges.
• The clinical utility of standard cognitive tests in Pick's disease remains under-evaluated.
• Deterioration of intelligence in relation to dementia staging requires further investigation.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the Mini-Mental State (MMS) and Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) in Pick's disease.
• To determine if intelligence deteriorates with dementia staging in Pick's disease.
• To investigate the impact of "Denkfaulheit" and "gogi" aphasia on cognitive test performance.

Summary:

• Seventeen Pick's disease patients (7 frontal, 10 temporal atrophy) were assessed using MMS and RCPM, staged by the NM scale.
• Frontal lobe atrophy cases showed "Denkfaulheit"; mild cases had preserved intelligence (normal RCPM), while moderate/severe cases were unassessable.
• Temporal lobe atrophy cases exhibited "gogi" aphasia; severe cases also showed "Denkfaulheit".

Impact:

• Findings suggest limited utility of MMS and RCPM in assessing intelligence in advanced Pick's disease, particularly with frontal lobe involvement.
• The study highlights the confounding effects of specific cognitive deficits like "Denkfaulheit" and "gogi" aphasia.
• This research informs the selection and interpretation of neuropsychological tests for patients with Pick's disease.