A study led by Dr. Jin-Sun Jun of Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital in Seoul, Republic of Korea, suggests that individuals who experience weight changes shortly after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may be more susceptible to changes in their cognitive abilities.
The research included 358 people who had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease but had not yet started taking medications for the condition.
These participants were compared with a control group of 174 individuals without Parkinson’s disease.
The average age of the study participants was 61, and they had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s an average of two years prior.
Weight change was defined as a change of more than 3% of body weight during the first year of the study.
Key Findings
Out of the participants with Parkinson’s, 98 experienced weight loss, 59 gained weight, and 201 maintained their weight.
The study found that those who lost weight experienced a more rapid decline in overall thinking abilities compared to those who maintained their weight.
On the other hand, individuals who gained weight displayed a slower decline in processing speed. Interestingly, there was no association between weight changes and other non-motor symptoms like depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
In the control group without Parkinson’s, no relationship was found between weight change and cognitive abilities.
Cognitive Domains Affected
The cognitive areas most affected in those who lost weight were related to verbal fluency skills, a measure of executive function.
Participants underwent cognitive testing at the beginning of the study and then annually for up to eight years.
Limitations and Further Research
While the study establishes an association between weight change and cognitive decline, it does not prove causation.
The study was unable to examine whether the impact of weight changes on cognitive abilities was the same for underweight or obese individuals. The researchers also did not consider whether weight changes were intentional or unintentional.
Clinical Implications
Dr. Jin-Sun Jun emphasized the significance of these findings for clinical practice, stating, “These findings highlight the potential importance of weight management in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.”
Further research is required to understand whether preventative measures against weight loss could slow down cognitive decline in Parkinson’s patients.
Despite its limitations, the study offers new insights into the complex relationship between weight management and cognitive function in Parkinson’s disease, paving the way for future research that may help improve patient care.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Vitamin E that may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about new way to treat Parkinson’s disease, and results showing COVID-19 may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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