Objective: Our study examined the effect of anxiety on cognition in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients without cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Background: Anxiety is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), along with cognitive impairment and in later stages, dementia. The relationship between anxiety and cognition in PD is unknown.

Methods: Neuropsychological data were collected from 119 PD patients and 27 healthy controls. PD patients underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation (attention/working memory, executive function, language, memory, and visuospatial function domains) and were classified according to Movement Disorder Society (MDS) diagnostic criteria. Forty-two patients were classified as having no cognitive impairment, 51 with mild cognitive impairment, and 26 with dementia. Anxiety was measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). One-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were conducted.

Results: Mental Status Exam scores were similar in controls and PD patients without cognitive impairment, but significantly lower in PD mild cognitive impairment and PD dementia groups. PD cognitive groups’ BAI scores were significantly higher than controls’, but not significantly different among the PD subgroups (PD-NCI, PD-MCI and PDD). Among PD patients, BAI score was negatively correlated with attention/working memory and visuospatial function domain scores. After controlling for age, education, and gender, BAI score was a significant independent predictor of attention/working memory  and visuospatial function composite scores.

Conclusions: PD patients have higher levels of anxiety than controls. Anxiety has a modest, inverse correlation to cognitive function. Anxiety negatively influences scores on tests of visuo-spatial functioning and attention/working memory in PD patients. Targeting anxiety in treatment may not only improve mood, but also some aspects of cognitive functioning in patients with PD.

This abstract was presented at the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Conference in June 2016 and will be presented at the Pan American Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Congress in February 2017.

References: Mantella, R. C., et al. (2007). “Cognitive impairment in late-life generalized anxiety disorder.” The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 15(8): 673-679.

Emre, M., et al. (2007). “Clinical diagnostic criteria for dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease.” Movement Disorders 22(12): 1689-1707.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-effect-of-anxiety-on-cognition-in-parkinsons-disease/