Memory Problems in Parkinson's Disease Patients With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment: Comparisons Between Caregiver and Self-report.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in patient and caregiver ratings of memory function in a community sample of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosed with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI).

METHODS

One hundred sixty-five patient-caregiver pairings participated in the study. Patients with PD were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing five of the key cognitive domains as indicated in the PD-MCI Movement Disorders Task Force criteria. Patients and caregivers also completed the Memory Assessment Clinics Self-Rating or Family Scale (MAC-S/MAC-F), and patients were divided into two groups, those with PD-MCI and those without.

RESULTS

For patients diagnosed with PD-MCI, both patients and caregivers reported significantly more memory changes compared with patients without PD-MCI on the MAC-S and MAC-F. In contrast, for patients without PD-MCI, patients and caregivers differed significantly in their reporting of memory changes, with scores indicating that patients without PD-MCI felt their memory functioning was worse than what caregivers were reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PD without MCI might be more sensitive to memory changes than their caregivers. Whether the self-appraisal of memory problems is predictive of future cognitive difficulties, including progression to PD-MCI or PD dementia, should be the focus of future research.