AUTHOR=Destrebecq Virginie , Naeije Gilles 

TITLE=Cognitive impairment in essential tremor assessed by the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome scale

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1224478

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2023.1224478

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Background: Essential tremor (ET) is a movement disorder characterized by cerebellar neurodegenerative changes. ET is also associated to non-motor symptoms including cognitive impairment. The neuropsychologic profile of patient with ET could relate to a cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS). Objective: to assess the prevalence of the cognitive impairment in patients with ET and identify if the cognitive impairment in ET corresponds to a CCAS. Methods: Cognitive functions were evaluated with the CCAS-Scale (CCAS-S) in 20 patients with ET and 20 controls matched for age, sex, and level of education. Results of the CCASS were compared between patients and controls. Underly determinant of CCAS inpatients with ET were identified through the correlation between the results of the CCAS-S and age at onset of symptoms, disease duration and the Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale (TETRAS). Results: On a group level, ET patients performed significantly worse than matched controls. Thirteen individuals with ET had a definite CCAS (CCAS-S failed items ≥ 3). ASO and TETRAS scores significantly correlated with CCAS-S performances in ET patients. Conclusions: CCAS is highly prevalent in patients with ET which support the cerebellar pathophysiology of associate cognitive impairment and support a more systematic use of the CCAS-S to cognitively assessed patients with ET.