Should We Pursue Cognitive Training for Parkinson Disease Patients?

Cognitive dysfunction related to Parkinson disease (PD) is resistant to levodopa therapy and to many other therapeutic approaches. Leung and colleagues explored cognitive training as one potential treatment option. They queried five databases containing randomized controlled trials on the topic. A standardized mean difference (Hedges g) of post-training change was the outcome.

The authors identified 7 studies totaling 272 patients. The beneficial effects of cognitive training were small but statistically significant (g=0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.014–0.44). Working memory, processing speed, and executive function improved the most. Global cognition, overall memory, visuospatial skills, and depressive symptoms were not changed.