Lack of Selective Vulnerability to Anticholinergic Induced Cognitive Impairment in Early Parkinson's Disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Schelosky, L. | Benke, Th. | Poewe, W.^;

Affiliations: Department of Neurology, UKRV, Spandauer Damm 130, Berlin 19, Germany | University Hospital for Neurology, 6020 Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, Austria

Note: [] Correspondence: W. Poewe, Department of Neurology, UKRV, Spandauer Damm 130, 1000 Berlin 19, Germany

Abstract: Thirteen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease of recent onset (mean age 63·2 years) and a group of 10 young healthy volunteers (mean age 26·1 years) underwent a series of neuropsychological tests for assessment of memory, learning ability and mental processing speed before and during treatment with trihexyphenidyl. Retesting after anticholinergic exposure (mean of 2 weeks for patients and 1 week for controls) revealed in young healthy controls the same pattern and magnitude of decline in memory function as in Parkinson patients. Non-demented subjects with Parkinson's disease of recent onset thus do riot seem to be selectively vulnerable to cognitive side-effects of anticholinergic treatment.

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-1991-4206

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 103-111, 1991