How are Cognitive Deficits Diagnosed?

Cognitive disorders are commonly assessed and diagnosed by:
- Interviewing the person with PD.
- Asking family members or caregivers about their observations.
Administering cognitive screening tests such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA).The neurologist will ask questions that evaluate the person’s understanding of where and who they are, the date and year, attention, memory, language and problem solving skills.
The neurologist may refer the patient to a clinical neuropsychologist for a more detailed assessment.
A neuropsychological assessment can be an important diagnostic tool for differentiating PD from other dementing illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), stroke or dementia.

How are Cognitive Changes in PD Different than Alzheimer’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease

Overall, dementia produces a greater impact on social and occupational functioning in PD than with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) due to the combination of motor AND cognitive impairments.
There is some overlap between symptoms and biological changes seen in AD and PD, however, it is less likely for both disorders to occur at the same time.
Development of the dementia in PD patients represents progression of Parkinson’s disease, usually after several years of motor impairment.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s is a fatal brain disease that causes a decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
Dementia is the hallmark symptom of Alzheimer’s disease as people become confused about time and place, have difficulty recognizing people and places they know, remembering how to do simply daily tasks, and often experience mood changes.
Whereas, dementia may or may not occur in patients with PD.
In fact, according to recent research 30% of PD patients DO NOT develop dementia as part of their PD progression.

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