Objective: The aim of this study is to know whether the baseline BMI is associated with cognitive decline and future development of dementia.

Background: Alterations in body mass index (BMI) are an important nonmotor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Alterations in BMI and subsequent changes are reported to be associated with cognitive decline in elderly individuals and patients with mild cognitive impairment. However, the association between BMI and cognitive changes in PD has not yet been elucidated using detailed neuropsychological evaluation.

Method: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 70 patients with de novo PD who underwent neuropsychological tests every 3 years and were followed up for more than 6 years. Based on the baseline BMI, we classified patients into three groups: the under/normal weight (n = 21), the overweight (n = 22), and the obese group (n = 27). Among the groups, we evaluate the differences in the rate of cognitive decline over time using linear mixed model and the conversion rate to dementia using survival analysis. Age, sex, education, and parkinsonian motor severity were used as covariates.

Results: The obese patients with PD showed slower progression in global cognitive function as well as language and memory functions than the under/normal weight group during the 6-year follow-up. The three BMI group had a different rate of conversion to dementia (by log-rank test, p = 0.026). The combined overweight and obese group was associated with a decreased risk of developing dementia compared with the under/normal weight group (Hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.12 – 0.82, p = 0.046).

Conclusion: We demonstrated that a higher BMI offered a protective effect against the deterioration of cognitive function in PD, especially with respect to language and memory functions. Being overweight to obese in de novo PD provided a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. This indicates the clinical importance of measuring baseline BMI of patients with PD to monitor changes in their cognitive function during the disease course. (This data will be presented as a poster at the 14th International Conference on Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases, March 26-31, 2019)

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-influence-of-baseline-body-mass-index-on-cognitive-decline-in-parkinsons-disease/