Cognitive impairment in nondemented Parkinson's disease

Abstract

A substantial percentage of patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease without dementia are reported to be affected by cognitive impairment (CI). In practice, however, CI is underrecognized, as the signs may not be apparent in early-stage disease and many routine assessment tools lack the sensitivity to detect subtle cognitive dysfunction. Patients with PD and mild CI (MCI) may have a higher risk of developing dementia than cognitively intact PD patients; however, it is not currently known which patients with CI are at increased risk of developing dementia. This review summarizes current knowledge about CI in nondemented PD; it discusses the structural and functional changes associated with CI and addresses areas of unmet needs. We focus on questions that should be addressed in future studies to achieve consensus on its characteristics and definition, pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and assessment, and treatment and management.