ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRESENTING MOTOR SYMPTOMS AND THE RISK OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE

Neuropsychological data collected from two groups of patients with idi opathic Parkinson's disease (n = 50, 159) were analysed to investigate the association between presenting motor symptoms determined from ret rospective chart review and the risk of cognitive impairment. Presenti ng motor symptoms were abstracted from the medical records and coded b y type, location, and laterality. Longitudinal data on changes in the maximum speed of voluntary arm movements were available for a subsampl e of patients. Bilateral (v unilateral) presentation was associated wi th an increased risk of cognitive impairment an average of nine years after onset of disease as measured by memory tests and the minimental state examination. A higher rate of decline of arm movement speed was also predictive of greater memory dysfunction. The type, side (left v right), and location (lower v upper extremity) of the presenting sympt oms were not, however, consistently associated with the risk of cognit ive impairment later in the course of the disease.