Working memory in Parkinson’s disease : a neuropsychological approach to understanding the etiology and treatment of a cognitive deficit

• Main Authors: Wong, Galston Kok Yi, Lew, Joanna Mingmin, Lim, Zheng Sen
• Other Authors: Xu Hong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67246
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Parkinson’s disease is commonly associated with the motor symptoms that arise in the disorder and little attention is paid to the cognitive symptoms that patients also experience, such as working memory deficits. Although there is a growing amount of research conducted on working memory deficits in Parkinson’s disease, there is still a lack of current clinical treatment options that manages these impairments in patients. This paper investigates how changes in the neuroanatomy and function of the brain in the disorder can lead to the observed impairments in working memory functioning. It also aims to review the efficacy of current treatment recommendations for improving working memory in Parkinson’s disease, as well as the efficacy of potential treatments in treating the same symptoms. From our review, we conclude that working memory and cognitive deficits are still an unmet need in current clinical practices. In addition, there is a lack of research that focuses on a mechanism-based approach to developing effective treatment for cognitive deficits in Parkinson’s disease. Lastly, we then provide suggestions on how future research may help improve our etiological understanding of the cognitive impairments in the disorder and also help improve the efficacy of current treatment options available to the patients.