Neural correlates of cognitive set shifting in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Issue 12 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lange, Florian; Lange, Christian; Joop, Max; Seer, Caroline; Dengler, Reinhard; Kopp, Bruno; Petri, Susanne
• Is Part Of: Clinical neurophysiology. Volume 127:Issue 12(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 3537
• Page End: 3545
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- Cognitive impairment -- Executive dysfunction -- Set shifting -- Event-related potential -- Posterior switch positivity; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Electroencephalography -- Periodicals; Electromyography -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.09.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-2457

Abstract

Highlights: Event-related potentials reveal set-shifting alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Shift-related cortical activity is also attenuated in patients without overt cognitive impairment. Event-related potentials are a valuable tool for the detection of subtle cognitive changes in ALS. Abstract: Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been associated with executive dysfunction, particularly in the domain of cognitive set shifting. In a recent event-related potential (ERP) study, shifting-related cortical activity on a complex set-shifting paradigm was found to be attenuated in patients with ALS. Here, we investigated whether this ERP change could also be observed in a simplified set-shifting task adapted for potential clinical use, and in ALS patients without overt cognitive impairment. Methods: Twenty-six patients and 28 matched healthy controls (HC) completed a set-shifting paradigm involving two task rules and explicit task cues. Cue-locked ERPs were analyzed. Results: ALS patients and HC did not differ in response latency or accuracy. In HC, cues that required shifting task rules elicited more positive parietal ERP waveforms than cues that signaled a rule repetition. This shifting-related amplitude modulation was absent in patients with ALS. The attenuation of ERP activity in ALS patients remained significant when participants with possible cognitive impairment were excluded. Conclusions: Electrophysiological measures can detect ALS-related changes in the neural substrates of set shifting even when these changes do not become apparent in neuropsychological assessment. Significance: These findings illustrate the potential utility of ERPs as indicators of cognitive change in ALS.