Behavioural Neurology (Jan 1991)
Lack of Selective Vulnerability to Anticholinergic Induced Cognitive Impairment in Early Parkinson’s Disease
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.