Are Cognitive Symptoms Part of the Phenotypic Spectrum of Idiopathic Adult-Onset Dystonia? Summary of Evidence from Controlled Studies

BACKGROUND

Cognitive dysfunction has been reported in idiopathic adult-onset dystonia (IAOD), but whether this is a primary or secondary component of the disorder remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

Here, we aimed to analyze the key domains of abnormal cognitive performance in IAOD and whether this is associated with motor or mood changes.

METHODS

Article selection for our critical review was guided by PRISMA guidelines (mesh terms "dystonia" and "cognitive," publication period: 2000-2022). Only peer-reviewed, English-language original case-control studies involving patients with IAOD who were not exposed to dopamine- or acetylcholine-modulating agents and validated cognitive assessments were included.

RESULTS

Abstract screening ultimately yielded 22 articles for full-text review and data extraction. A greater proportion of studies (17 of 22, 82%) reported abnormal cognitive performance in IAOD. Most of these studies focused on blepharospasm (BSP) and cervical dystonia (10 and 14, respectively). Most studies reporting cognitive impairment (11 of 17) identified multidomain impairment in cognition. Executive functions were the domain most frequently explored (14 of 22 studies), 79% of which detected worse performance in people with dystonia. Results related to other domains were inconclusive. Cognitive abnormalities were independent of motor symptoms in most studies (7 of 12) that explored this relationship and independent of mood status in all 8 that investigated this.

CONCLUSIONS

Within IAOD, cognitive dysfunction (in particular, executive dysfunction) has been documented mainly in BSP and cervical dystonia. More comprehensive testing is warranted to assess abnormalities in other domains and in other forms of IAOD, as well as to evaluate longitudinal progression of cognitive disturbances in this condition.

Abstract P3-14-18: Dose-dense neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer. Long term results of a cooperative retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Dose-dense chemotherapy results in better overall (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in women with hormone receptor-negative early breast cancer as shown with a systematic review and meta-analysis by Bonilla et al (JNCI 2010). Aim of our study was to compare neoadjuvant dose-dense chemotherapy with standard dose schedule in T4 patients in terms of DFS and OS, according to hormone-receptor status.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: we analysed, retrospectively, 160 consecutive T4 patients, of median age 52 ys (range 29-73) who received neoadjuvant anthra-based chemotherapy with and without taxanes, observed from 1989 to 2009; 74 patients (46%) received dose-dense schedule (q14) and 86 (54%) conventional dose (q21); 68 (42%) patients were ER-negative (32 q14; 36 q21) and 92 (58%) patients were ER-positive (42 q14; 50 q21). No Trastuzumab was allowed during neoadjuvant treatment.

RESULTS: at a median follow-up of 130 months (range 8-241 months), overall, 10 y DFS was 41.9% and 30.2% on q14 and q21 schedules, respectively (p = 0.085); 10 y OS was 48.6% on q14 and 44.2% on q21 schedule, (p = 0.343). ER-negative patients who received q14 schedule had better DFS (46.9%) than those on q21 schedule (16.7%), (p = 0.007) [Relative Risk 0,63 and Odds Ratio 0,22] and better OS (50%) than those on q21 schedule (30.6%) (p = 0.083) [Relative Risk 0,61 and Odds Ratio 0,44]. DFS and OS did not differ on q14 and q21 schedules in ER- positive patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with published data and suggest that there is no appreciable survival benefit from increasing dose density among T4 ER-positive patients. Dose-dense neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be justified in LABC patients with T4 ER-negative tumors.

 DFS OS  q 14q 21pq 14q 21pER-46,9%16,7%0.00750%30,6%0.083ER+38,1%40,0%0.51247,6%54,0%0.344

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-14-18.