Cognitive rehabilitation protocol for people with Parkinson’s disease and cognitive symptoms

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundParkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and affects the lives of people around the world. Approximately 30% to 40% of people with Parkinson’s disease also develop cognitive symptoms. Most notably impairments are observed in executive function, visuospatial abilities and memory are observed. An effective alternative to treat these symptoms is cognitive rehabilitation, but there are still too few publications presenting cognitive rehabilitation protocols for this population. The aim of the present study was to develop a rehabilitation protocol focused on cognitive symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease.MethodsA free search was conducted for publications on the topic of cognitive rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s disease and cognitive symptoms. From the reading of these studies, a set of exercises aimed at training executive functions, visuospatial skills and memory was then developed.ResultThe elaborated protocol includes nine sessions of 60 minutes each. It should be used by appropriately trained healthcare professionals. The protocol consists of activities using paper and pencil, as essential materials, which means low application costs. The protocol includes activities aimed at training visuospatial skills (Figure 1), memory (Figure 2) and executive functions (working memory, reasoning, mental flexibility, problem solving and planning) (Figure 3) with an increasing level of difficulty.ConclusionThis study presents the formulation and scientific dissemination of a protocol that is easy to use, inexpensive and effective in the rehabilitation of these individuals.