Parkinson’s disease and dementia are both neurodegenerative disorders that can profoundly affect your brain function. While Parkinson’s disease is primarily known for its motor symptoms like tremors, stiffness, and slow movements, it can also affect cognitive function.
In fact, many people with Parkinson’s disease may develop a condition called Parkinson’s disease dementia, or PDD.
Read on as our team of experts at the Link Neuroscience Institute explains the connection in more detail and how we can help you manage Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when neurons in a part of your brain called the substantia nigra begin to break down. These neurons produce dopamine, a chemical responsible for transmitting messages that affect many parts of your nervous system, including movement control, cognitive functions, and emotional limbic activity.
As your dopamine levels drop, movement problems occur. Over time, these changes can also spread to other parts of the brain, which can contribute to cognitive decline and memory problems.
Dementia refers to declining cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and language skills. Many different conditions can cause dementia.
With Parkinson’s disease, dementia often occurs in the later stages of the disease, with up to 50% of patients eventually developing cognitive impairments. This happens because the same neurodegenerative process affecting motor control can also impact areas of the brain responsible for thinking and memory.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though Parkinson’s disease dementia shares similarities with Alzheimer’s disease, the two conditions are different. People with Parkinson’s often experience visual hallucinations, trouble with executive function (e.g., planning and problem-solving), and more difficulty with motor-related tasks.
In contrast, Alzheimer’s primarily affects memory first. That being said, if you’re concerned about any memory problems, talk to us. Our team can also help determine the source of your cognitive decline and help you manage Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or other conditions that affect your cognition.
Now that you know how dementia and Parkinson’s are connected, the question remains: can you prevent it? While there is no way to fully prevent dementia in Parkinson’s disease, early intervention and lifestyle changes like regular exercise and mental stimulation may help slow cognitive decline.
How do these help? Regular exercise can reduce your risk of cognitive decline by up to 20%. Mental stimulation, particularly brain training, can strengthen your memory and cognitive skills for up to five years after brain training. This is sometimes called cognitive remediation.
Besides brain training, simple memory games, puzzles, and math puzzles or problems can help stimulate your memory.
Medications such as rivastigmine, an FDA-approved Parkinson’s disease dementia medication, may be beneficial for you.
If you or a loved one has Parkinson’s and is noticing cognitive changes, click here to book an appointment. You can also call the location of your choice: Oxnard, Santa Barbara, or Camarillo, California.
