Neuropharmacological treatment of mental dysfunction in Parkinson's disease

Issue title: Neuropharmacologic Approaches to Cognitive Rehabilitation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: McNamara, Patrick | Durso, Raymon

Affiliations: Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Patrick McNamara, Ph.D., Department of Neurology (127), Boston VA Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA. Tel.: +1 857 364 5007; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Many patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) experience significant cognitive and mood impairment -even early in the course of the disease. These mental impairments are only partially responsive to levodopa treatment and are often as disabling as the motor impairment, particularly in mid and late stages of the disease. Investigators have recently begun a search for new agents that can effectively treat mental dysfunction of PD. Although there have been only a handful of properly controlled clinical trials of interventions targeted at amelioration of mental dysfunction in PD, progress has been made. Based on the available evidence, targeting catecholaminergic and cholinergic function may be an effective strategy for amelioration of cognitve, mood and psychiatric disturbances in PD.

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 43-51, 2006