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: The aim of this study was to verify if there would be correlations between cognitive variables (educational status, executive function, verbal fluency) and motor variables (Berg balance scale, MiniBESTest, Timed Up and Go Test, static posturography) in patients with PD and healthy elderlies.
Background: Recent studies showed that cognitive factors can be related to motor performance in patients with Parkinson’s disease (DP). Motor aspects, such as balance and gait and cognitive aspects (executive function) can be used to estimate the risk of falls, which are caused by postural instability and executive dysfunctions in patients with PD. However, the correlation between educational status, executive function, verbal fluency, static balance, dynamic balance and gait remains poorly explored.
Methods: Seventy patients with PD and 30 healthy elderlies participated in this study. Participants reported their time of formal education. They were assessed with Trail Making Test and verbal fluency test (cognitive assessment). Fuctional balance evaluation was performed by Berg balance scale and MiniBESTest. Gait was assessed with Timed Up and Go test. Static posturography was used to quantify center of pressure displacement (CoP).
Results: Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that there were moderate correlations between education and motor aspects (all balance and gait clinical scales). There was moderate correlation between executive function and motor aspects (both clinical balance scales). There was moderate correlation between verbal fluency and balance (MiniBESTest).
Conclusions: There was correlation between cognitive (education, executive function, verbal fluency) and motor aspects (Berg balance scale, MiniBESTest, Timed Up and Go Test), mainly in patients with PD. Static posturography was not correlated to clinical tests.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
C.O. Souza, M.C. Voos, H.F. Chien, D.V. Francato, A.F. Barbosa, J.M. Greve, E.T. Fonoff, E.R. Barbosa. The relationship between cognitive aspects (education status, executive function and verbal fluency) and motor aspects (balance and gait) in patients with Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-relationship-between-cognitive-aspects-education-status-executive-function-and-verbal-fluency-and-motor-aspects-balance-and-gait-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed July 5, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-relationship-between-cognitive-aspects-education-status-executive-function-and-verbal-fluency-and-motor-aspects-balance-and-gait-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/