Subjective Cognitive Complaints in Parkinson Disease Without Dementia: A Preliminary Study

Little is known about the subjective cognitive complaints of individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Such complaints have become a topic of interest recently as they play a role in the diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether a sample of nondemented individuals with PD reported significantly more difficulties with multiple elements of cognition than a control sample and to assess the relation between their ratings and demographics, motor symptom severity, neuropsychological test performance, and measures of depression and anxiety. Forty nondemented individuals with PD and 27 healthy individuals completed a questionnaire assessing everyday cognitive difficulties. Independent t tests indicated that individuals with PD reported significantly more cognitive complaints in general and in specific tasks involving complex attention, executive function, processing speed, and verbal fluency but not memory. Questionnaire ratings significantly correlated with measures assessing anxiety, verbal memory, processing speed, and verbal fluency. Results suggest that it is important to ask individuals with PD about cognitive complaints across several cognitive domains and also inquire about symptoms of anxiety, which may be related to their self-reported cognitive difficulties.