Objective: PDCogniCare program aims to improve the utility of cognitive evaluation for earlier and effective diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: PD is often diagnosed in neurology or geriatric specialised health services settings where the focus of clinical care remains on motor symptoms, while cognitive symptoms are typically considered secondary. Dementia in PD is often undiagnosed until the situation becomes unmanageable and options for cognitive support are no longer viable.
Method: PDCogniCare will develop and test a tailored co-designed digital platform to (i) integrate best practice guidelines for cognitive evaluation in PD, (ii) track and identify individuals at high-risk of dementia, and (iii) assist clinical review. A standardised tool-kit for cognitive assessment in PD, for both in-person and telehealth delivery, will be embedded within the guidelines. PDCogniCare will be evaluated in clinical services using a hybrid II effectiveness-implementation trial design. The in-built process and economic evaluations will inform rapid translation to clinical care.
Results: Best practice guidelines for cognitive evaluation in PD were developed via (i) systematic literature reviews, (ii) national surveys and (iii) interviews with key stakeholders including neuropsychologists (N=16), PD patients and carers (N=81), and (iv) a Delphi process with clinician and researcher experts (N=29) across Australia. Pre-implementation stakeholder interviews (N=30) mapped current pathways of cognitive evaluation in movement disorders clinical services. A systematic review and critical analysis of select cognitive measures informed a harmonised neuropsychological tool-kit for PD. PD-related test adaptations were recommended to inform diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. An online therapist training package was developed for implementation. A novel platform was co-designed with key stakeholders to assist delivery of guidelines, clinician training, and tracking of cognitive evaluation in clinical practice.
Conclusion: This project will deliver a robust evidence-base for a new PDCogniCare program. Simultaneously, it will provide (i) a strategic roadmap for implementation in health services, (ii) a program to upskill the psychological workforce for PD cognitive care, and (iii) the implementation costs of the program.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
N. Dissanayaka, D. Pourzinal, E. Mccann, E. Lobo, D. Brooks, D. Sriram, T. Au, L. Mitchell, N. Pachana, S. Naismith, A. Broome, A. Lehn, A. Kelder, J. Liddle, J. King, R. Marsh, S. Robertson, K. Shrubsole, H. Tinson, M. Verreynne, B. Wood, P. Worthy, J. Yang, P. Nestor, M. Chatfield, S. Keramat, E. Tan, T. Piccinini, E. Beattie, G. Byrne, D. Spooner, J. O'Sullivan. Improving Diagnosis of Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease: PDCogniCare Australian Program [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2025; 40 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/improving-diagnosis-of-dementia-in-parkinsons-disease-pdcognicare-australian-program/. Accessed November 20, 2025.« Back to 2025 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/improving-diagnosis-of-dementia-in-parkinsons-disease-pdcognicare-australian-program/