A new study suggests that early weight loss after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) may herald a rapid deterioration in cognitive function.
Results showed that in the first year after receiving a PD diagnosis, patients who lost 3% or more of their body weight had better global and executive cognitive functioning than those who maintained or gained weight. showed a rapid decline.
Jin-Sun Jun, M.D., director of research at Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, said in a news release that early weight loss is a common non-motor symptom of PD and “puts people at risk for cognitive decline.” It can serve as an indication that
The survey results were published online on October 19. Neurology.
weigh the impact
Both weight loss and weight gain have previously been associated with subsequent dementia in the elderly population. However, researchers note that evidence linking early weight changes to cognitive decline in PD is lacking.
To investigate further, we evaluated 358 adults (66% male, mean age 61 years) diagnosed with PD on average two years ago. In his first year after diagnosis, 98 participants lost ≥3% of body weight, 201 maintained weight (within ±3%), and 59 gained ≥3% of his body weight. Did.
Participants who lost weight experienced significantly lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores compared to participants who maintained their weight (β = -0.19; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.10; P. = .001). MoCA measures overall cognitive performance.
For specific cognitive domains, thematic fluency test scores decreased sharply in patients who lost weight compared with those who maintained their weight (β = -0.37; 95% CI, -0.66 to -0.08 ; P. = .01), MoCA phoneme fluency score (β = -0.18; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.05; P. = .005) and, to a lesser extent, the letter number sequence score (β = -0.07; 95% CI, -0.14 to 0.01; P. = .07).
Conversely, PD patients who gained weight had a slower decline in Symbol-Digit Modalities Test scores (β = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.05 – 0.63). However, no association was found with longitudinal changes in MoCA scores.
There was no significant effect of weight change on the progression of other non-motor symptoms.
The researchers say the findings highlight the potential importance of weight management in the early stages of PD.
Further research is needed to determine whether taking measures to prevent weight loss can slow cognitive decline in adults with PD, they add.
Cognitive decline?
Comments on survey results Medscape Medical NewsShaheen Lakhan, MD, a neurologist and researcher in Boston, Massachusetts, pointed out that there are many reasons why weight loss in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as PD correlates with brain health.
“First, unintended weight loss may reflect poor nutritional status or nutritional deficiencies that directly limit cognitive function,” said Lacan, who was not involved in the study.
He also said, “While it may represent physical weakness, in which body fat is depleted and muscles subsequently atrophy, it may also represent cognitive weakness, in which the brain as muscle is less stimulated and neural circuits fail to function. It may represent
“This body of research reminds neurologists to monitor body measurements such as weight and BMI, as well as tremors and other movements associated with PD. [body mass index] To make healthcare more fully individualized,” Lacan said.
This research was supported by Hallym University Research Fund 2019. Kim and Rakan have not reported any related financial relationships.
neurologyPublished online on October 19, 2022.
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