Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA)
Abstract Background Cognitive deficits related to frontotemporal dysfunction are common in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Visuospatial deficits, related to posterior cerebral regions, are often underestimated in ALS, though they play a crucial role in attending daily living activities. Our pil...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-025-03645-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850252016748593152 |
|---|---|
| author | Minoo Sharbafshaaer Mattia Siciliano Carla Passaniti Valeria Sant’Elia Marcello Silvestro Antonio Russo Sabrina Esposito Gioacchino Tedeschi Luigi Trojano Francesca Trojsi |
| author_facet | Minoo Sharbafshaaer Mattia Siciliano Carla Passaniti Valeria Sant’Elia Marcello Silvestro Antonio Russo Sabrina Esposito Gioacchino Tedeschi Luigi Trojano Francesca Trojsi |
| author_sort | Minoo Sharbafshaaer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Cognitive deficits related to frontotemporal dysfunction are common in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Visuospatial deficits, related to posterior cerebral regions, are often underestimated in ALS, though they play a crucial role in attending daily living activities. Our pilot study aims at assessing visuospatial abilities using a domain-specific tool in ALS patients compared to healthy controls (HC). Methods Twenty-three patients with early ALS and 23 age- and education-matched HC underwent the Battery for Visuospatial Abilities (BVA), including 4 visuo-perceptual and 4 visuo-representational subtests. Results When compared to HC, ALS scored worse in 2 visuo-perceptual subtests (i.e., Line Length Judgment and Line Orientation Judgment) and 1 visuo-representational tasks (i.e., Hidden Figure Identification, HFI) (p < 0.01). No correlations arose between ALS clinical features and BVA performance. More than 80% of the ALS cohort obtained abnormal scores in the HFI subtest. Conclusions Our findings revealed that patients with ALS scored worse (compared to HC) on selective tests tapping “perceptual” and “representational” visuospatial abilities, since the early stages of disease. In clinical practice, our findings highlight the need for multi-domain neuropsychological assessment, for monitoring disease courses and properly organizing care management of patients with ALS. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d1b187969dd2461ea29bef75f1f310be |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1750-1172 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-d1b187969dd2461ea29bef75f1f310be2025-08-20T01:57:45ZengBMCOrphanet Journal of Rare Diseases1750-11722025-03-012011810.1186/s13023-025-03645-zScreening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA)Minoo Sharbafshaaer0Mattia Siciliano1Carla Passaniti2Valeria Sant’Elia3Marcello Silvestro4Antonio Russo5Sabrina Esposito6Gioacchino Tedeschi7Luigi Trojano8Francesca Trojsi9Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”First Division of Neurology, AOU Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”First Division of Neurology, AOU Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”First Division of Neurology, AOU Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Abstract Background Cognitive deficits related to frontotemporal dysfunction are common in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Visuospatial deficits, related to posterior cerebral regions, are often underestimated in ALS, though they play a crucial role in attending daily living activities. Our pilot study aims at assessing visuospatial abilities using a domain-specific tool in ALS patients compared to healthy controls (HC). Methods Twenty-three patients with early ALS and 23 age- and education-matched HC underwent the Battery for Visuospatial Abilities (BVA), including 4 visuo-perceptual and 4 visuo-representational subtests. Results When compared to HC, ALS scored worse in 2 visuo-perceptual subtests (i.e., Line Length Judgment and Line Orientation Judgment) and 1 visuo-representational tasks (i.e., Hidden Figure Identification, HFI) (p < 0.01). No correlations arose between ALS clinical features and BVA performance. More than 80% of the ALS cohort obtained abnormal scores in the HFI subtest. Conclusions Our findings revealed that patients with ALS scored worse (compared to HC) on selective tests tapping “perceptual” and “representational” visuospatial abilities, since the early stages of disease. In clinical practice, our findings highlight the need for multi-domain neuropsychological assessment, for monitoring disease courses and properly organizing care management of patients with ALS.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-025-03645-zAmyotrophic lateral sclerosisNeuropsychologyCognitive assessmentSpatial cognitionBattery for visuospatial abilities (BVA)ECAS |
| spellingShingle | Minoo Sharbafshaaer Mattia Siciliano Carla Passaniti Valeria Sant’Elia Marcello Silvestro Antonio Russo Sabrina Esposito Gioacchino Tedeschi Luigi Trojano Francesca Trojsi Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Neuropsychology Cognitive assessment Spatial cognition Battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) ECAS |
| title | Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) |
| title_full | Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) |
| title_fullStr | Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) |
| title_short | Screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) |
| title_sort | screening of visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis als a pilot study using the battery for visuospatial abilities bva |
| topic | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Neuropsychology Cognitive assessment Spatial cognition Battery for visuospatial abilities (BVA) ECAS |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-025-03645-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT minoosharbafshaaer screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT mattiasiciliano screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT carlapassaniti screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT valeriasantelia screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT marcellosilvestro screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT antoniorusso screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT sabrinaesposito screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT gioacchinotedeschi screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT luigitrojano screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva AT francescatrojsi screeningofvisuospatialabilitiesinamyotrophiclateralsclerosisalsapilotstudyusingthebatteryforvisuospatialabilitiesbva |