Objective: To search for differences in specific components of cognitive processing in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with and without impulse control disorders (ICD) in order to identify components that could by used as a diagnostic markers of impulse control disorder or predisposition to develop it.

Background: Impulse control disorders is an important complication on PD patients receiving dopaminergic therapy with serious psychological, social and economic consequences.  Symptoms are not always referred by affected subjects, preventing the correct therapeutic approach [1]. Some studies have reported executive impairments in PD with ICD [2]. A recent study of our group, ahead of print, has showed a selective impairment on attention as the cause of cognitive processing impairment of PD patients. Attention variations have been correlated with dopaminergic mesolimbic activity and in response to invasive PD therapies. Individual components of information processing have not been yet studied in ICD PD patients. [3][4].

Method: This observational transversal multicentric study will include 60 PD patients divided in three groups: patients without ICD, patients with active ICD, and patients with resolved ICD at the moment of the study. Matched healthy subjects will be recruited. Five consecutive and increasing complexity computerized RT (reaction time) tasks will be performed. The average RT in each of the tasks and the percentage of correct answers will be measured. Cognitive, motor, ICD and quality of life scales will be evaluated too.

Results: Perceptual and cognitive individual components will be isolated using ANCOVAs. For the analysis of the results parametric tests will be used, (and no parametric in some variables) (Confidence level of 0.95)

Conclusion: The identification of reliable and accessible cognitive markers for the diagnosis of ICD or its predisposition will have a great impact in the clinical approach to PD subjects using dopaminergic therapy in order to prevent the comorbidities and impairments produced by underdiagnosed and iatrogenic ICD.

References: [1]. Weintraub D et al. Clinical spectrum of impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2015;30(2):121-7 [2]. Paz-Alonso PM et al. Functional inhibitory control dynamics in impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2020;35(2):316-325. [3]. Shipely BA et al. Efficiency of temporal order discrimination as an indicator of bradyphrenia in Parkinson’s disease: the inspection time loop task. Neuropsychologia. 2002; 40: 1488-1493. [4]. Evarts et al. Reaction time in Parkinson’s disease. Brain J. Neurol. 1981: 167-186.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/information-processing-components-in-parkinsons-disease-with-and-without-impulse-control-disorders-identification-of-diagnostic-and-predisposition-markers/