Management of cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease

The risk factors for PD dementia can be grouped into clinical, molecular, and structural/functional imaging risk factors – as depicted on the slide.¹

Several potential therapies and interventions have been proposed or researched to tackle the cognitive symptoms of PD, and whilst there is now some good evidence that certain pharmacotherapies are effective in patients with PD and cognitive symptoms, more good-quality placebo-controlled trials are needed.^1-4 A disease-modifying therapy that can slow the progression of PD, and delay the onset of dementia, is an urgent unmet need.^1,5

References:
1. Aarsland D, Creese B, Politis M, et al. Cognitive decline in Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2017; 13 (4): 217–231.

2. Seppi K, Ray Chaudhuri K, Coelho M, et al. Update on treatments for nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – an evidence-based medicine review. Mov Disord 2019; 34 (2): 180–198.

3. Chen JH, Huang TW, Hong CT. Cholinesterase inhibitors for gait, balance, and fall in Parkinson disease: a meta-analysis. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2021; 7 (1): 103.

4. Weintraub D, Mamikonyan E. The neuropsychiatry of Parkinson disease: a perfect storm. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019; 27 (9): 998–1018.

5. Chaudhuri KR, Bhidayasiri R, van Laar T. Unmet needs in Parkinson’s disease: new horizons in a changing landscape. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2016; 33 (Suppl 1): S2–S8.