Saccadic Eye Movements on Cognition in Neurologic Disorders
Location
Medical Education Building, LSUHSC-NO
Presentation Date
10-10-2019 10:00 AM
End Date
10-10-2019 12:00 PM
Description
This study aimed to test the effects of saccadic eye movements on cognition in neurologic disorders. The study also aimed to determine the feasibility of administering the King-Devick Test in a routine clinical visit for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to determine the correlations between the K-D test and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in people with PD. I consented participants and took a brief medical history to determine eligibility in the study. I conducted several cognitive function tests to quantify the data. The King-Devick Test is a short, rapid number naming assessment where the participant quickly reads aloud single digit numbers. It evaluates impairments in eye movements, attention, and language function. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) asks participants to substitute a number for randomized presentations of geometric figure. It is a short screen for organic cerebral dysfunction. I also used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment which screens for cognitive impairment using tasks that test several cognitive domains. In addition, I conducted several motor tasks that are used in patients to assess neurologic motor deficits. The 9-hole peg test requires patients to put pegs into holes and take them out as quickly as possible. The finger tap test asks patients to tap the tip of each finger to their thumbs as quickly as possible. These both test for upper extremity motor function. The patients also did a timed, 25-foot walks to look at their lower extremity motor function. We also conducted annual follow¬up testing of patients that had previously participated. My contribution to the study was mostly with healthy controls to compare to those with neurologic disorders.
Preliminary data analysis showed a significant (p<0.05) difference in SDMT, MoCA, and KD between the healthy controls and the Parkinson’s disease patients. We found that patients with PD performed significantly lower on the MoCA and SDMT, and significantly higher on KD time. The mean score on SDMT was 34.8±3.01 in PD patients and 48.6 ±1.72 in healthy controls. The mean score on MoCA was 23.62±0.88 in PD patients and 26.31±0.49 in healthy controls. The mean time to completion on the KD was 68.65±4.3 in PD patients and 59.99±2.0 in healthy controls. There was also a significant correlation between KD time and MoCA score, as well as KD time and SDMT, in PD patients and healthy control. The correlation between MoCA vs KD was r=0.4 (p=0.01) and between SDMT vs KD was r=0.6 (p=0.002) in healthy controls. The correlation between MoCA vs KD was r=0.5 (p=0.001) and between SDMT vs KD was r=0.6 (p<0.001) in PD patients
Recommended Citation
DiMasi, Tiana A., "Saccadic Eye Movements on Cognition in Neurologic Disorders" (2019). Medical Student Research Poster Symposium. 10.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/sommrd/2019/posters/10
Saccadic Eye Movements on Cognition in Neurologic Disorders
Medical Education Building, LSUHSC-NO
This study aimed to test the effects of saccadic eye movements on cognition in neurologic disorders. The study also aimed to determine the feasibility of administering the King-Devick Test in a routine clinical visit for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to determine the correlations between the K-D test and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in people with PD. I consented participants and took a brief medical history to determine eligibility in the study. I conducted several cognitive function tests to quantify the data. The King-Devick Test is a short, rapid number naming assessment where the participant quickly reads aloud single digit numbers. It evaluates impairments in eye movements, attention, and language function. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) asks participants to substitute a number for randomized presentations of geometric figure. It is a short screen for organic cerebral dysfunction. I also used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment which screens for cognitive impairment using tasks that test several cognitive domains. In addition, I conducted several motor tasks that are used in patients to assess neurologic motor deficits. The 9-hole peg test requires patients to put pegs into holes and take them out as quickly as possible. The finger tap test asks patients to tap the tip of each finger to their thumbs as quickly as possible. These both test for upper extremity motor function. The patients also did a timed, 25-foot walks to look at their lower extremity motor function. We also conducted annual follow¬up testing of patients that had previously participated. My contribution to the study was mostly with healthy controls to compare to those with neurologic disorders.
Preliminary data analysis showed a significant (p<0.05) difference in SDMT, MoCA, and KD between the healthy controls and the Parkinson’s disease patients. We found that patients with PD performed significantly lower on the MoCA and SDMT, and significantly higher on KD time. The mean score on SDMT was 34.8±3.01 in PD patients and 48.6 ±1.72 in healthy controls. The mean score on MoCA was 23.62±0.88 in PD patients and 26.31±0.49 in healthy controls. The mean time to completion on the KD was 68.65±4.3 in PD patients and 59.99±2.0 in healthy controls. There was also a significant correlation between KD time and MoCA score, as well as KD time and SDMT, in PD patients and healthy control. The correlation between MoCA vs KD was r=0.4 (p=0.01) and between SDMT vs KD was r=0.6 (p=0.002) in healthy controls. The correlation between MoCA vs KD was r=0.5 (p=0.001) and between SDMT vs KD was r=0.6 (p<0.001) in PD patients
Comments
Mentor: Deidre Devier (Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology)