The effects of online cognitive activity on subjective and objective cognitive functioning in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine efficacy of a cognitive training (CT) intervention. We investigated whether CT improved objective (neuropsychological tasks) and subjective (self-perceived) cognitive functioning in 19 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Furthermore, we investigated whether specific cognitive domains or neuropsychiatric measures showed an association with subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs). Methods: During eight weeks, participants completed three 45-minute training sessions a week. Pre- and post-intervention performance and SCCs were compared. Results: The intervention did not reduce SCCs. Objective task performance improved on three out of six neuropsychological tests (fluency, attention and verbal episodic memory). The results demonstrated a positive relationship between neuropsychiatric measures and SCCs. Discussion: Several objective outcome measures pointed in a positive direction. However, since this was a pilot study, we only investigated a small sample. CT may be a valuable tool in managing cognitive decline in PD, but RCTs in larger patient groups are required.