Caring for patients with cognitive dysfunction, fluctuations and dementia caused by Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). While it tends to worsen in the later stages of disease, it can occur at any time, with 15–20% of patients exhibiting cognitive deficits at diagnosis (Aarsland et al., 2010; Goldman and Sieg, 2020). The characteristic features of cognitive dysfunction include impairment in executive function, visuospatial abilities, and attention, which vary in severity from subtle impairment to overt dementia (Martinez-Horta and Kulisevsky, 2019). To complicate matters, cognitive dysfunction is prone to fluctuate in PD patients, impacting diagnosis and the ability to assess progression and decision-making capacity. The diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia has a huge impact on patient independence, quality of life, life expectancy and caregiver burden (Corallo et al., 2017; Lawson et al., 2016; Leroi et al., 2012). It is therefore essential that physicians caring for patients with PD provide education, screening and treatment for this aspect of the disease. In this chapter, we provide a practical guide for the assessment and management of various degrees of cognitive dysfunction in patients with PD by approaching the disease at different stages. We address risk factors for cognitive dysfunction, prevention strategies prior to making the diagnosis, available tools for screening. Lastly, we review aspects of care, management and considerations, including decision-making capacity, that occur after the patient has been diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction or dementia.