Category: Parkinson's Disease: Cognitive functions
Objective: To compare the results of a neuropsychological study in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Background: Recently, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is increasingly considered as a multifaceted disease characterized not only by motor manifestations (hypokinesia, rigidity, resting tremor and postural instability), but also by the development of a significant number of non-motor disorders. Neuropsychological disorders sometimes develop earlier than movement disorders, and their detection can be important for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Analysis of the characteristics of neuropsychological disorders will make it possible to clarify the localization of the pathological process and the degree of its prevalence, which can be of important differential diagnostic value.
Method: The study involved 60 patients: 30 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and 30 with Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive status was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB).
Results: When comparing neurocognitive parameters, it was found that patients with Parkinson’s disease had slower thinking (bradyphrenia), which took them longer to perform neuropsychological tests. A feature of memory impairments in PD was a disorder of the reproduction of new information, which was primarily due to regulatory impairments; at the same time, the ability to store information (memory proper) remained intact for a long time. In addition, patients with Parkinson’s disease were observed to have more pronounced visual-spatial impairments (difficulties in copying drawings and figures, recognizing faces and objects), in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, significant impairment of mnestic functions prevailed.
Conclusion: Neuropsychological examination showed that patients with Parkinson’s disease had more pronounced dysregulatory disorders in the form of decreased activity, difficulty in switching from one task to another, impaired control of the result of activity, and impaired visuospatial functions.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
O. Chyniak. Cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/cognitive-impairment-in-patients-with-alzheimers-disease-and-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed May 25, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/cognitive-impairment-in-patients-with-alzheimers-disease-and-parkinsons-disease/