Association Between Turn Impairments and Cognitive Function in Parkinson Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Movement Disorders
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor function.
• Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common non-motor symptom in PD, impacting daily life.
• Objective assessment of cognitive status in PD is crucial for management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between turn parameters and cognitive status in Parkinson disease (PD) patients.
• To determine the efficacy of turn performance metrics in differentiating PD-related cognitive impairment (CI) from normal cognition (NC).

Main Methods:

• 168 PD patients (102 NC, 66 CI) underwent 180° and 360° turn trials using the MATRIX wearable system.
• Turn parameters evaluated: turn duration, step count, mean angular velocity (MAV), and peak angular velocity (PAV).
• Cognitive function assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Main Results:

• PD patients with CI exhibited longer turn durations and higher step counts compared to those with NC.
• PD-CI group showed lower MAV and PAV during both 180° and 360° turns.
• Step counts and MAV during 360° turns effectively distinguished PD-CI from PD-NC (AUCs 0.781 and 0.789).

Conclusions:

• Turn performance metrics are significantly associated with cognitive status in PD.
• 360° turn analysis using wearable systems can aid in assessing cognitive impairment in PD patients.
• Routine clinic assessment of 360° turn characteristics may improve understanding of CI in PD.