Session Information
Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Session Title: Parkinson's disease: Cognition
Session Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: To test the hypothesis that simple reaction time (SRT) is associated with global cognition in Parkinson’s disease (PD) after controlling for motor function.
Background: Cognitive impairment is a common non-motor feature of PD and identification of simple biomarkers to predict those most at risk of this is a highly desirable goal. SRT comprises movement preparation and execution. It is prolonged in PD and is associated with bradykinesia severity. Some studies suggest a link between SRT and cognition in PD.
Methods: Fifty-eight PD subjects wearing movement sensing equipment, tested whilst on, reached and grasped a cylindrical object as quickly as possible after an auditory stimulus. SRT, defined as the delay between auditory stimulus and movement initiation, was recorded. Reach and grasp was repeated five times with each hand and a mean value was calculated for each participant. Multiple linear regression was used to look for associations between SRT and global cognition – defined using total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score – after controlling for age, disease duration and MDS-UPDRS Motor Score.
Results: The PD subjects had an average age of 69 years, disease duration of 6 years and MDS-UPDRS motor score of 29 tested whilst on. Multiple linear regression showed a significant association between SRT and disease duration and MoCA score (p = <0.001, adjusted R2 0.25). The unstandardised coefficient (B) indicates that in PD subjects of identical age, disease duration and MDS-UPDRS Motor Score each single point reduction in MoCA causes a 0.12s prolongation of SRT.
Conclusions: SRT is significantly associated with global cognition in PD subjects after controlling for motor function, age and disease duration. SRT is a potential biomarker for cognitive impairment in PD and should be incorporated into longitudinal cohort studies.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J. Cosgrove, C. Picardi, S.L. Smith, S. Jamieson, J.E. Alty. Investigating the relationship between reaction time and cognition in Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/investigating-the-relationship-between-reaction-time-and-cognition-in-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed May 14, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/investigating-the-relationship-between-reaction-time-and-cognition-in-parkinsons-disease/