Objective: To establish the impact of apathy on memory functioning in patients with IPDWD.
Background: Memory is one of the domains of neurocognitive functioning that is altered by the clinical picture of apathy in patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease Without Dementia (IPDWD). Data obtained from different studies show that the processes of consolidation, storage and recall of information are related to a loss of interest, initiative and low self-esteem, symptoms that characterize apathy as a risk factor for generating dis-ejective syndrome in patients with IPDWD.
Method: Participants: 50 patients diagnosed with IPDWD were recruited, with a mean age of 64.85 years. We determined the association of memory functioning assessed by the Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale PD-CRS, correlated with the apathetic symptomatology of the Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS), compared with a group of healthy subjects without a diagnosis of IPDWD. Statistical analysis: The Mann-Whitney U test – Spearman’s Rho.
Results: There are significant differences between patients with IPDWD and the group of healthy subjects (p<0.000) in all components of cognitive performance assessed by the PD-CRS. There are significant differences between both groups in the score obtained on the LARS (p< 0.001). There is a statistically significant negative correlation between the total score obtained from the LARS and the sections of the spontaneous clock test of the PD-CRS (Rho = -352, p =.011). No significant differences were found in the verbal recall section of the SCOPA-COG (Rho = -.112, p =.440) and delayed memory (Rho= -.155, p=.283).
Conclusion: Patients with IPDWD have worse performance in the general cognitive phenotype compared to the group of healthy subjects. Apathetic symptomatology is related to immediate and delayed memory deficits in subjects with IPDWD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J. Felipe Ayala-Rico, C. Alberto Hurtado-González, S. Ospinta-Otalvaro, P. Andrea Gutiérrez-Lenis, A. Lucumi-Moreno, M. Cañas-Lucendo, D. Reyes-Torres, S. Ordoñez-Cure, A. Cubides-Munévar, K. Valbuena-Epiayu. Negative Correlation Between Apathy and Performance on Memory Tasks in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease without Dementia. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2025; 40 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/negative-correlation-between-apathy-and-performance-on-memory-tasks-in-patients-with-idiopathic-parkinsons-disease-without-dementia/. Accessed July 10, 2026.« Back to 2025 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/negative-correlation-between-apathy-and-performance-on-memory-tasks-in-patients-with-idiopathic-parkinsons-disease-without-dementia/