Objective: Quantify and compare encoding, consolidation, and retrieval performance in verbal and visual memory tasks in MCI and Non-MCI Parkinson’s disease.

Background: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is associated with a wide range of cognitive symptoms, including memory impairment, specifically episodic memory (EM). Memory impairments interfere with functional activities of patients having a severe impact in their lives.
Episodic memory impairment is one of the most common memory complaints in PD. It has been suggested that early changes in this type of memory in PD patients prognosticates further cognitive decline.
Detection and early intervention of cognitive decline could delay the evolution to dementia. Moreover, it has been stated that impairment in EM can predict cognitive decline in patients with PD which may lead to dementia.

Method: Thirty-two patients with an age of 67.03 ± 10.1 and 10.03 ± 5.43 years of schooling, divided in two grupos, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (N=15) and non-mild cognitive impairment (n-MCI) (16) according MCI criteria as defined by Petersen et al. They were assessed with a memory curve and simplified version of Rey-Osterrieth complex figure from Neuropsi Breve battery, indicators of intrusions and perseverations we also analyzed.

Results: Differences between n-MCI and MCI in (18.23 vs 11.54) visual retrieval (z=-2.13, U=56.50, P=.033), (19.09 vs 12.70) spontaneous auditive retrieval (z=-2.00, U=70.50, p=.049), (9.12 vs 15.75), and spontaneous intrusion errors (z=-2.74, U=27.50, p=.018).

Conclusion: Results showed a difference between MCI and n-MCI groups in visual retrieval , spontaneous auditive retrieval (MCI scoring lower than n-MCI) and in spontaneous intrusion errors (MCI scoring higher than n-MCI). Data suggests a distinction between mild cognitive impairment and a non mild cognitive impairment where MCI-PD shows a distinctive profile of lower scores in memory tasks and intrusions.
We consider that encoding, consolidation and retrieval of patients with PD in verbal and visual memory tests can serve as a tool to identify patients with MCI due to PD from those patients without MCI.

References: Das, T., Hwang, J. J., & Poston, K. L. (2019). Episodic recognition memory and the hippocampus in Parkinson’s disease: a review. Cortex, 113, 191-209. Chahine, L. M., Weintraub, D., Hawkins, K. A., Siderowf, A., Eberly, S., Oakes, D., … & PARS Investigators. (2016). Cognition in individuals at risk for Parkinson’s: Parkinson associated risk syndrome (PARS) study findings. Movement Disorders, 31(1), 86-94. Yarnall, A.J., Breen, D.P., Duncan, G.W., Khoo, T.K., Coleman, S.Y., Firbank, M.J., Nombela, C., Winder-Rhodes, S., Evans, J.R., Rowe, J.B. and Mollenhauer, B. (2014). Characterizing mild cognitive impairment in incident Parkinson disease: the ICICLE-PD study. Neurology, 82(4), pp.308-316.

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