Impact of stimulating cognitive-motor training on neuropsychological status and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Motor and non-motor symptoms are identified in the clinical picture of Parkinson's disease (PD). Among its non-motor manifestations, cognitive impairment (CI) and emotional disorders play a special role in PD. It is important to search for new forms and methods of cognitive therapy in patients with PD.Objective:to analyze neuropsychological status and quality of life (QOL) in PD patients and to evaluate the efficiency of personalized combination therapy with a stimulating cognitive motor training on computer and mobile devices in these patients.Patients and methods. The investigation enrolled 112 patients with PD. A study group included 56 PD patients who received a cycle of combination therapy with cognitive-motor training on PC and mobile devices; a control group consisted of 56 PD patients who had only a drug therapy cycle. To evaluate neuropsychological status and QOL, the investigators used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the McNair and Kahn memory self-evaluation scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire.Results and discussion. According to MoCA scores, CI of varying severity was diagnosed in the majority of patients: in 75 and 80.4% in the study and control groups, respectively. Depressive syndrome was detected in 53.6 and 64.3% in these groups, respectively. According to the SF-36, the physical status of patients had the greatest effect in reducing their QOL. There were treatment-induced statistically significant positive changes for the following domains: physical functioning (p<0.01), role-physical functioning (p<0.001), pain intensity (p<0.01), general health (p<0.01), role emotional (p<0.0001), and mental health (p<0.01).Conclusion.The investigation has shown the efficiency of personalized therapy including stimulating cognitive-motor training on computer and mobile devices, which improves neuropsychological status and QOL in patients with PD.