Sex specific cognitive differences in Parkinson disease.
Tyler Harrison Reekes1,2, Christopher Ian Higginson3, Christina Raye Ledbetter2,4
11Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA USA.
NPJ Parkinson'S Disease
|April 15, 2020
Summary
Males with Parkinson disease (PD) experience greater cognitive decline, particularly in executive function and processing speed, compared to females with PD. This sex difference in cognitive impairment is evident even without differences in disease severity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with higher prevalence in males.
- While motor symptoms progression is known to be more severe in males, cognitive progression differences between sexes remain understudied.
- Understanding sex-based cognitive differences in PD is crucial for personalized treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in cognitive dysfunction among individuals with non-demented Parkinson disease.
- To test the hypothesis that males with PD exhibit greater cognitive impairment than females with PD.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 84 participants with PD (38 females) and 59 controls (27 females) on demographic variables and cognitive functions.
- Assessed cognitive domains including attention, working memory, executive function, and processing speed.
- Utilized Multivariate ANOVA to analyze group differences, controlling for demographic and disease severity variables.
Main Results:
- No significant demographic or disease severity differences were found between male and female PD groups.
- Males with PD demonstrated significantly poorer performance in executive function (e.g., Verbal Fluency) and processing speed compared to females with PD.
- No significant sex differences were observed in working memory or attention measures within the PD cohort.
Conclusions:
- Males with Parkinson disease exhibit more pronounced deficits in executive function and processing speed compared to females.
- These findings suggest a sex-specific pattern of cognitive decline in Parkinson disease, aligning with reports of faster motor progression in males.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these sex differences in PD cognitive progression.
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