Neurobehavioral functioning of persons with Parkinson's disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Neurology

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor control.
• Neurobehavioral functioning is crucial for social interaction and quality of life.
• Early assessment of neurobehavioral changes in PD is vital for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the neurobehavioral functioning of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).
• To assess the psychometric properties of the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile (NBAP), Neurobehavioral Rating Scale (NRS-Revised), and Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX).
• To identify early-stage neurobehavioral problems in PD that may impact social interactions.

Main Methods:

• Administered self- and observer-report versions of NBAP, NRS-Revised, and DEX to 30 PD patients and 30 matched controls.
• Conducted reliability analyses for the psychometric properties of the measures.
• Correlated measures of neurobehavioral functioning with disease severity.

Main Results:

• Total scores of the measures showed good internal reliability; NBAP sub-scales had lower reliability.
• PD group exhibited problems on the NRS-Revised compared to controls.
• PD group reported increased depression, inappropriate behavior, and communication difficulties since disease onset, with good self- and observer-report agreement.

Conclusions:

• Neurobehavioral problems, including depression and communication deficits, emerge in early Parkinson's disease.
• These neurobehavioral issues, combined with motor and cognitive symptoms, can negatively affect social interactions and potentially lead to social isolation.
• Self- and observer-reports show good agreement, indicating reliable patient insight into their symptomatology.