Mentally stimulating activities associate with better cognitive performance in Parkinson disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Dementia risk is reduced by mentally stimulating activities.
• Similar associations have not been previously studied in Parkinson disease (PD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between time spent on mentally stimulating activities and cognitive function in PD patients.
• To account for neurodegeneration in Parkinson disease when examining this relationship.

Main Methods:

• 41 Parkinson disease patients completed the Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire and mini-mental state examination (MMSE).
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging ([11C]dihydrotetrabenazine and [11C]piperidinyl propionate) assessed dopaminergic and cholinergic activity.
• A rating scale for mentally stimulating activities was developed from questionnaire data.

Main Results:

• Time spent on mentally stimulating activities (20.0 ± 8.3 hours/4 weeks) significantly predicted MMSE scores (β = 0.39, p = 0.009).
• This association remained significant even after accounting for cortical cholinergic activity (β = 0.35, p = 0.024).
• Caudate nucleus dopaminergic activity, age, education, disease duration, motor severity, and physical activity levels were not significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Mentally stimulating activities are associated with better cognitive abilities in Parkinson disease.
• This relationship is independent of education, motor disease severity, and key neurodegenerative markers.