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Central Cognitive Processing Speed Is an Early Marker of Huntington's Disease Onset
Author(s) -
CoreyBloom Jody,
Williams McKenna E.,
BeltranNajera Ilex,
Mustafa Andrea I.,
Snell Chase M.,
Castleton Jordan,
Smith Haileigh,
Wright Brenton,
Gilbert Paul E.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
movement disorders clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.754
H-Index - 18
ISSN - 2330-1619
DOI - 10.1002/mdc3.13121
Subject(s) - cognition , huntington's disease , montreal cognitive assessment , audiology , trail making test , cognitive test , medicine , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , disease , psychology , psychiatry , cognitive impairment
Background Several studies have suggested that cognitive processing speed may be useful for assessing early cognitive change in premanifest Huntington's disease (HD); however, current measures lack the ability to control for the effects of motor dysfunction commonly found in HD. The Computerized Test of Information Processing (CTiP) is a rapidly administered computerized tool that allows for the examination of central cognitive processing speed by using motor‐corrected scores to account for motor dysfunction. Objective To examine central cognitive processing speed as an early marker of HD onset using the CTiP. Methods The CTiP and other measures were administered to 102 HD gene carriers and 55 healthy adults (HA). Gene carriers included presymptomatic HD (pre‐HD; n = 33), prodromal HD (pro‐HD; ie, individuals close to disease onset; n = 23), and mild–moderate HD (HD; n = 46). Results The HD group performed significantly slower than all other groups (HA, pre‐HD, and pro‐HD) on most subtests ( P s < .05). Moreover, the pro‐HD group performed significantly slower than the HA group on both motor‐corrected subtests ( P s < 0.05). Effect sizes associated with significant group differences between the pro‐HD and HA groups on motor‐corrected CTiP subtests ( d = 0.73 and 0.84) were similar to effect sizes associated with group differences on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test ( d = .82) and other traditional cognitive assessments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, d = .75; Mini‐Mental State Examination, d = .84). Conclusions The CTiP may be a useful marker of deficits in central cognitive processing speed in individuals close to manifest onset of HD.