Increased anti-saccade latency is an isolated lingering abnormality in Sydenham chorea

Abstract

Sydenham chorea (SC) is an autoimmune response to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection whose clinical and imaging manifestations usually resolve within 6 months. We used ocular motor analysis and neuropsychologic assessment to investigate residual striatal dysfunction in two individuals with histories of childhood SC whose most recent episodes of chorea had occurred 5 and 17 years before testing. Compared with the performance of 33 age-matched control subjects, both SC subjects showed significantly increased anti-saccade latencies. These findings support recent theories that acute episodes of SC may cause long-term corticostriatal changes in some individuals.