Cognitive Fluctuation Scale in Non-demented Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Cognitive fluctuations (CF) are spontaneous alterations in cognition, attention, and arousal, which are core clinical features in Lewy body dementia. A 4-item scale from the Dementia Cognitive Fluctuation Scale (4-item DCFS) is used in demented patients to identify CF. However, this has not been applied to non-demented patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Apolipoprotein E genotypes and amyloid burden associated with cognitive decline in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients: A preliminary analysis.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common non-motor manifestation in Parkinson's disease (PD). Amyloidosis seems to accelerate the onset of dementia in PD. The Apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 genotype is linked to amyloid aggregation and has been suggested to be a candidate for development of PD dementia, while other APOE alleles have been less investigated.

Nigrostriatal blood-brain barrier opening in Parkinson's disease.

Background: The nigrostriatal system is especially vulnerable to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a limiting factor for delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. This pilot study aimed to demonstrate safety, feasibility and tissue penetration (by 18F-Choline-positron emission tomography (PET)) of MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) simultaneous BBB opening (BBB-O) in the substantia nigra (SN) and putamen in PD.

Methods: Three patients underwent MRgFUS for midbrain and putamen BBB-O.

Social Cognition and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Mid-Stage Parkinson's Disease.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a relevant non-motor feature in Parkinson's disease (PD). Social cognition (SC) is a cognitive domain that refers to the ability to decode others' intentions and to guide behavior in social contexts. We aimed to compare SC performance in mid-stage PD patients compared to a healthy population and according to their cognitive state.

Cognitive Reserve in Parkinson's Disease without Dementia: β-Amyloid and Metabolic Assessment.

Background: Cognitive reserve (CR) is the mismatch between preserved cognition and neuropathological damage. Amyloidopathy in Parkinson's disease (PD) could be associated with faster progression to dementia, but the putative protective effect of CR is unknown.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of CR on β-amyloid burden and brain metabolism in non-demented PD subjects.

Brain hypometabolism in non-demented microtubule-associated protein tau H1 carriers with Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: The microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) H1 homozygosity (H1/H1 haplotype) is a genetic risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). MAPT H1 homozygosity has been associated with conversion to PD; however, results are conflicting since some studies did not find a strong influence. Cortical hypometabolism is associated with cognitive impairment in PD.

Striatal Blood-Brain Barrier Opening in Parkinson's Disease Dementia: A Pilot Exploratory Study.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibits a high prevalence of dementia as disease severity and duration progress. Focused ultrasound (FUS) has been applied for transient blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening of cortical regions in neurodegenerative disorders. The striatum is a primary target for delivery of putative therapeutic agents in PD.

What Do We Know about Theory of Mind Impairment in Parkinson's Disease?

Theory of mind (ToM) is a social cognitive skill that involves the ability to attribute mental states to self and others (what they think (cognitive ToM) and feel (affective ToM)). We aim to provide an overview of previous knowledge of ToM in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the last few years more attention has been paid to the study of this construct as a non-motor manifestation of PD.