Functional imaging of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is known by most persons to be a neurodegenerative disorder that affects one's motor skills. However, the disease is also characterized by the less recognized cognitive symptoms, including deficits in executive functioning, as well as mood and behavioral problems, which are just as disabling and distressing as the motor symptoms. Imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) have recently enhanced our understanding of cognitive disturbances in PD, and are reviewed in the current article. Furthermore, insights gained from the use of specific radiotracers in the dopaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmitter systems are discussed, as well as findings from in vivo detection of amyloid-beta. We will also discuss the potential use of a metabolic covariance network as a biomarker in clinical trials for the objective assessment of cognitive dysfunction in PD.