BMC Neurology (Dec 2021)

Identifying comorbidities and lifestyle factors contributing to the cognitive profile of early Parkinson’s disease

  • Saul Martínez-Horta,
  • Helena Bejr-Kasem,
  • Andrea Horta-Barba,
  • Berta Pascual-Sedano,
  • Diego Santos-García,
  • Teresa de Deus-Fonticoba,
  • Silvia Jesús,
  • Miquel Aguilar,
  • Lluis Planellas,
  • Juan García-Caldentey,
  • Nuria Caballol,
  • Bárbara Vives-Pastor,
  • Jorge Hernández-Vara,
  • Iria Cabo-Lopez,
  • Lydia López-Manzanares,
  • Isabel González-Aramburu,
  • Maria Asunción Ávila-Rivera,
  • Maria Jose Catalán,
  • Luis Manuel López-Díaz,
  • Victor Puente,
  • Jose Manuel García-Moreno,
  • Carmen Borrué,
  • Berta Solano-Vila,
  • Maria Álvarez-Sauco,
  • Lydia Vela,
  • Sonia Escalante,
  • Esther Cubo,
  • Francisco Carrillo-Padilla,
  • Juan Carlos Martínez-Castrillo,
  • Pilar Sánchez-Alonso,
  • Maria Gema Alonso-Losada,
  • Nuria López-Ariztegui,
  • Itziar Gastón,
  • Marta Blázquez-Estrada,
  • Manual Seijo-Martínez,
  • Javier Rúiz-Martínez,
  • Caridad Valero-Merino,
  • Monica Kurtis,
  • Oriol de Fábregues-Boixar,
  • Jessica González-Ardura,
  • Cristina Prieto-Jurczynska,
  • Pablo Martinez-Martin,
  • Pablo Mir,
  • Jaime Kulisevsky,
  • COPPADIS Study Group

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02485-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Identifying modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and estimating their impact on cognitive status may help prevent dementia (PDD) and the design of cognitive trials. Methods Using a standard approach for the assessment of global cognition in PD and controlling for the effects of age, education and disease duration, we explored the associations between cognitive status, comorbidities, metabolic variables and lifestyle variables in 533 PD participants from the COPPADIS study. Results Among the overall sample, 21% of participants were classified as PD-MCI (n = 114) and 4% as PDD (n = 26). The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia was significantly higher in cognitively impaired patients while no between-group differences were found for smoking, alcohol intake or use of supplementary vitamins. Better cognitive scores were significantly associated with regular physical exercise (p < 0.05) and cognitive stimulation (< 0.01). Cognitive performance was negatively associated with interleukin 2 (Il2) (p < 0.05), Il6 (p < 0.05), iron (p < 0.05), and homocysteine (p < 0.005) levels, and positively associated with vitamin B12 levels (p < 0.005). Conclusions We extend previous findings regarding the positive and negative influence of various comorbidities and lifestyle factors on cognitive status in early PD patients, and reinforce the need to identify and treat potentially modifiable variables with the intention of exploring the possible improvement of the global cognitive status of patients with PD.

Keywords