Abstract
ABSTRACT.Cross-sectional studies show an association of decline in mental flexibility and inhibitory control with reduced gait speed and falls, as well as divided attention deficit and difficulty in initiating gait.Objective:To investigate the relationships between cognitive function and gait performance in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who participated in a hospital neurorehabilitation program.Methods:A total of 107 patients (79 males, 28 females; mean age 61.00±8.2 years; mean schooling 11.7±4.1 years) with idiopathic PD (mean disease duration 5.5±4.1 years) were recruited for this study. Among them, 78.50% were in stages I and II of the Hoehn & Yahr Scale. Cognitive functions were evaluated through the Digit Span test, Trail Making Test, and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III. Motor function was assessed with the 10-Meter Walk Test, the short version of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), and the Timed Up and Go Test.Results:Balance skills were significantly correlated with global cognition and specific domains, including divided attention, verbal fluency, and visuospatial function. Functional mobility showed a significant association with all cognitive tests, except for the number of errors on TMT-A. Gait speed presented a significant correlation with global cognition scores, memory, and attention, including divided attention.Conclusions:These findings might help early identification of cognitive deficits or motor dysfunctions in PD patients who may benefit from rehabilitation strategies, as well as facilitate fall risk assessments and strategies to prevent falls. Future prospective studies are needed to investigate the effects of cognitive training on motor performance, since the difficulty in motor rehabilitation may be more related to cognitive loss than to motor damage.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which has cognitive impairment as a prevalent and debilitating non-motor symptom
No correlation was found between the tremor dominant subtype and cognitive impairment, the postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype showed an association with lower performance on cognitive tests.[9,10,11,12]
The present study aimed to determine whether cognitive functions were associated with gait performance, mobility, and balance in idiopathic PD
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which has cognitive impairment as a prevalent and debilitating non-motor symptom. Non-motor symptoms, such as disturbances of the autonomic nervous system, sleep disorders, depression, and cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders, can precede motor symptoms or appear throughout the disease, impacting the functional independence of the patient.[1,2]. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies[3,4,5] have reported that gait changes may be associated with cognitive impairment, executive functions. Studies that correlated the performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) with motor tests have found a significant association with dexterity and mobility evaluated through the Purdue Pegboard Test and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). No correlation was found between the tremor dominant subtype and cognitive impairment, the postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype showed an association with lower performance on cognitive tests.[9,10,11,12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
