Objective: The purpose of this research is to explore whether Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients display distinct sway patterns compared to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients whilst performing a dual cognitive-motor task. We further aim to combine posturography with EEG recording to establish potential differences in the neural mechanisms which regulate postural control in PD and PSP patients. Such research may provide a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for parkinsonian disorders.

Background: PSP is a rare movement-associated neurological disorder which is often difficult to differentiate from idiopathic PD due to numerous phenomenological overlaps. A better understanding of shared phenomenological features may therefore facilitate improved diagnosis. Patients with PSP and PD exhibit impaired postural control at varying stages of disease progression, which is further worsened by attention-demanding activity. However, few studies have investigated whether cognitive interference in postural control may be used in differentiating PSP from PD.

Method: 15 patients with PD, 15 patients with PSP, and 15 healthy controls will be recruited to test postural stability and cognitive-motor interference. Each participant will first undergo postural assessment without cognitive interference, using a stabilometric platform. Participants will then undergo assessment of postural control during concurrent execution of cognitive tasks, specifically the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART) and a working memory-based task (the STROOP Colour-Word Test – SCWT). Participants will also be subject to 24-channel EEG recordings whilst performing postural assessment with and without cognitive interference to examine changes in frontal theta activation during each postural control task.

Results: Based on the current body of literature it is hypothesised that PD patients will exhibit increased postural sway in the anteroposterior direction, whilst PSP patients will exhibit greater mediolateral sway. It is further hypothesised that these changes in postural sway will be reflected by changes in brainwave activity in specific regions of the brain.

Conclusion: Data collection to begin March 20th 2023.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/cognitive-interference-in-postural-control-as-a-diagnostic-and-prognostic-biomarker-in-parkinsonian-disorders/