Abstract
While several studies have investigated the clinical progression of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, there has been a paucity of data on specifically evaluating PD patients with a disease duration of over 20 years. This study retrospectively investigated the frequency of dementia in PD (PDD) patients with a disease duration of over 20 years assessed in research clinics across the UK and Australia. Data from 2327 PD patients meeting the United Kingdom Parkinson’s Disease Society Brain Bank Criteria was pooled. A diagnosis of probable PDD was made according to the Movement Disorder Society Level 1 criteria. Thirty-six participants had a disease duration of at least 20 years. Of the 36 patients, only 7 (19%) were classified as probable PDD. Compared to PD patients without dementia, those with dementia had lower levels of educational attainment and exhibited more severe motor features. Additionally, 34 out of the 36 patients (94%) exhibited a non-tremor dominant phenotype. No significant differences in age, age onset, disease duration, dopaminergic medication use, and sex distribution were observed between PD patients with and without dementia. Findings from the present study suggest that the prevalence of dementia in long-term PD patients may be lower than anticipated and suggest that the trajectory of cognitive decline in PD patients can be different. These findings highlight the need to investigate factors that might affect the outcome of cognitive decline in long-term PD patients, which may lead to the determination of potential modulating factors in the development of dementia in these patients.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a wide variety of clinical symptoms
While the prevalence has varied across studies depending on the diagnostic criteria employed and the nature of the study population,[5] a previous systematic review has reported the point-prevalence of PDD to be approximately 30%
While several studies have investigated the clinical progression of cognitive decline in PD patients, there has been a paucity of data on evaluating PD patients with a disease duration of over 20 years.[17]
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a wide variety of clinical symptoms. In addition to its classic motor features (i.e. tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability), non-motor symptoms (e.g. cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, depression, and hallucinations) are widely accepted as part of the clinical spectrum.[1,2] In particular, the presence of dementia in PD (PDD) represents one of the most significant non-motor symptoms, especially in more advanced disease.[3,4] While the prevalence has varied across studies depending on the diagnostic criteria employed and the nature of the study population,[5] a previous systematic review has reported the point-prevalence of PDD to be approximately 30%.6. In addition to its classic motor features (i.e. tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability), non-motor symptoms (e.g. cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, depression, and hallucinations) are widely accepted as part of the clinical spectrum.[1,2] In particular, the presence of dementia in PD (PDD) represents one of the most significant non-motor symptoms, especially in more advanced disease.[3,4] While the prevalence has varied across studies depending on the diagnostic criteria employed and the nature of the study population,[5] a previous systematic review has reported the point-prevalence of PDD to be approximately 30%.6 Significantly, such cognitive decline is associated with increased mortality, impairments in well-being, caregiver strain as well as increased healthcare and institutionalisation costs.[7,8,9]
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