165: Addressing Cognitive Decline in Parkinson Disease

Welcome to the NeurologyLive® Mind Moments® podcast. Tune in to hear leaders in neurology sound off on topics that impact your clinical practice.In this Mind Moments episode, Greg Pontone, MD, Chief of Aging Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology at the University of Florida, joins the podcast to discuss the interplay between cognition and Parkinson disease, with a focus on how clinicians can better recognize and manage cognitive changes across the disease course. Pontone outlines the prevalence of early cognitive impairment, noting that a significant proportion of patients may present with subtle deficits at diagnosis, particularly in executive function and processing speed. The conversation explores the impact of commonly used medications on cognition, including anticholinergics and benzodiazepines, and how clinicians can balance therapeutic benefit with cognitive risk. Pontone also reviews current treatment strategies, including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, while emphasizing the importance of nonpharmacologic approaches such as structured routines and cognitive training. Additional discussion highlights the evolving role of biomarkers, the overlap between Parkinson disease and Alzheimer pathology, and the need for earlier recognition, better patient education, and continued research to improve long-term cognitive outcomes in this population.Looking for more Movement disorder discussion? Check out the NeurologyLive® Movement disorder clinical focus page.Episode Breakdown: 1:10 – Prevalence and early signs of cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease  2:30 – Medication-related cognitive effects and contributing drug classes 4:20 – Balancing therapeutic benefit vs cognitive risk in treatment decisions 6:05 – Current treatments for cognition, including pharmacologic and behavioral strategies 10:25 – Neurology News Network  13:00 – Role of biomarkers and Alzheimer overlap in Parkinson cognition 15:45 – Future priorities for advancing cognitive care and research in PD The stories featured in this week's Neurology News Minute, which will give you quick updates on the following developments in neurology, are further detailed here: FDA Clears Cala kIQ Plus for Essential Tremor and Parkinson Disease Hand Tremor FDA Issues Complete Response Letter for GTx-104 in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Satralizumab Meets Primary End Point in Phase 3 METEOROID Study in MOGAD Thanks for listening to the NeurologyLive® Mind Moments® podcast. To support the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. For more neurology news and expert-driven content, visit neurologylive.com.