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Risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease: a community-based, prospective study
D Aarsland1, K Andersen, J P Larsen
1Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Rogaland Psychiatric Hospital, Stavanger, Norway. aarsland@netpower.no
Neurology
|March 29, 2001
Summary
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. Early indicators include a Hoehn & Yahr score over 2 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score below 29.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Dementia presents significant challenges for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their caregivers.
- The incidence of dementia in PD has not been previously established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of dementia in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
- To identify potential risk factors associated with dementia development in PD patients.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort of 171 non-demented PD patients in Rogaland, Norway, was followed for 4.2 years.
- Dementia diagnosis followed DSM-III-R criteria using patient/caregiver interviews, cognitive scales, and neuropsychological tests.
- A control group of 3,062 non-demented elderly subjects without PD was used for comparison.
Main Results:
- The incidence of dementia in PD was 95.3 per 1,000 person-years.
- PD patients had a 5.9-fold increased risk of dementia compared to controls, adjusted for age, sex, and education.
- Predictive factors for dementia in PD included Hoehn & Yahr score >2 and Mini-Mental State Examination score <29.
Conclusions:
- Parkinson's disease patients face a nearly sixfold higher risk of developing dementia.
- Age, advanced motor symptoms (Hoehn & Yahr >2), and lower cognitive scores (MMSE <29) are key predictors.