Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation

Cognitive profile of LRRK2-related Parkinson's disease

Sindhu Srivatsal et al. Mov Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that genetic factors play a role in the variability associated with cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease (PD). Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of monogenic PD; however, the cognitive profile of LRRK2-related PD is not well-characterized.

Methods: A cohort of 1,447 PD patients enrolled in the PD Cognitive Genetics Consortium was screened for LRRK2 mutations and completed detailed cognitive testing. Associations between mutation carrier status and cognitive test scores were assessed using linear regression models.

Results: LRRK2 mutation carriers (n = 29) demonstrated better performance on the Mini Mental State Examination (P = 0.03) and the Letter-Number Sequencing Test (P = 0.005). A smaller proportion of LRRK2 carriers were demented (P = 0.03).

Conclusions: Our cross-sectional study demonstrates better performance on certain cognitive tests, as well as lower rates of dementia in LRRK2-related PD. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether LRRK2 mutation carriers exhibit slower cognitive decline. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: LRRK2; Parkinson's disease; cognition; neuropsychological tests; working memory.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Financial Disclosure/Conflict of Interest:

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (K23 NS060949, P50 NS062684, P50 NS053488, P50 NS038367, P50 NS038377, P50 NSO72187, R01 NS065070, R01 NS057567, and U01 NS082133), the Department of Veterans Affairs (1I01BX000531), the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, the Nancy and Buster Alvord Endowment, the Jane and Lee Seidman Fund, the Consolidated Anti-Aging Foundation, and gifts from Carl Edward Bolch, Jr, and Susan Bass Bolch. The funding sources did not provide scientific input for the study.

References

    1. Aarsland D, Andersen K, Larsen JP, et al. The rate of cognitive decline in Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. 2004;61(12):1906–1911. - PubMed
    1. Janvin CC, Larsen JP, Aarsland D, Hugdahl K. Subtypes of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease: progression to dementia. Mov Disord. 2006;21(9):1343–1349. - PubMed
    1. Alcalay RN, Caccappolo E, Mejia-Santana H, et al. Cognitive performance of GBA mutation carriers with early-onset PD: the CORE-PD study. Neurology. 2012;78(18):1434–1440. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chahine LM, Qiang J, Ashbridge E, et al. Clinical and biochemical differences in patients having Parkinson disease with vs without GBA mutations. JAMA neurology. 2013;70(7):852–858. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mata I, Leverenz J, Weintraub D, et al. Variations in APOE, but not MAPT or SNCA, predicts cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease. JAMA neurology. In press. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances