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Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease impairs temporal precision
Matthew A Weber1, Christopher M Hunter1, Nandakumar S Narayanan1
1University of Iowa.
Research Square
|February 6, 2026
Summary
Temporal precision, but not accuracy, is consistently impaired in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. This finding highlights interval timing as a key cognitive assay for neurodegenerative disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are associated with temporal processing deficits.
- Interval timing paradigms assess the ability to estimate or produce time intervals, involving working memory and attention.
- Key metrics for timing performance include temporal accuracy (mean estimate) and temporal precision (variability of estimates).
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis examining temporal accuracy and precision in patients with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
- To determine if temporal processing deficits are consistently observed across studies in these neurodegenerative conditions.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 14 studies involving Parkinson's disease patients.
- Meta-analysis of 10 studies involving Alzheimer's disease patients.
- Examination of temporal accuracy and temporal precision as primary outcome measures.
Main Results:
- Temporal precision was reliably impaired across studies in both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
- Temporal accuracy was not consistently impaired in either disease.
- Despite diverse methodologies, impaired temporal precision emerged as a consistent finding.
Conclusions:
- Temporal precision is a robust indicator of cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
- Interval timing serves as a reliable assay for studying cognitive deficits in neurodegenerative diseases.
- These findings may extend to other neurological and psychiatric disorders with cognitive impairments.
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