Psychometric Properties and Characteristics of the North-East Visual Hallucinations Interview in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Visual Hallucinations (VH) are a common symptom experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD); however, a validated measure of VH has yet to be established for this population. The North-East Visual Hallucinations Interview (NEVHI), a promising VH measure, has not been well validated in PD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of the NEVHI as well as the proportional identification and characteristics of VH in PD.

Neuropsychiatric Predictors of Cognitive Decline in Parkinson Disease: A Longitudinal Study.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, apathy, and cognitive decline in Parkinson disease (PD).

Design: Longitudinal study design to assess whether specific neuropsychiatric, demographic, and clinical features predict future cognitive decline.

Setting: Veterans Affairs San Diego Medical Center and the University of California, San Diego.

Cognitive functioning in individuals with Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal study.

Objective: To examine longitudinal changes in cognition in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: Twenty-five PD participants with a history of mild-moderate post-acute (>9 months) TBI and 25 demographically-matched PD controls without a history of TBI were administered measures of cognition (Mattis Dementia Rating Scale), mood, and motor functioning at baseline and at a two-year follow-up evaluation.

Results: Individuals with PD and a history of TBI evidenced significantly greater decrements in overall cognition over the two year follow-up period compared to those without a history of TBI.

The utility of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale in Parkinson's disease mild cognitive impairment.

Background: The Movement Disorders Society (MDS) recently proposed guidelines for diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) that includes two assessment levels: abbreviated (Level I) and comprehensive (Level II). The aim of this study was to determine the utility of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS), a recommended Level I test, for detecting Level II PD-MCI diagnosis.

Methods: The study sample included 30 patients diagnosed with PD-MCI based on Level II MDS criteria and 68 PD patients with normal cognition (PD-NC).

Instrumental activities of daily living are impaired in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Objective: Although it is well known that Parkinson's disease (PD) with dementia results in functional decline, little is known about the impact of mild cognitive impairment in PD (PD-MCI) on day-to-day functioning.

Method: Forty-one individuals with PD-MCI, 56 PD patients with normal cognition (PD-NC), and 47 healthy older adults were administered two performance-based measures of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) that evaluated medication and financial management. Informants of the PD patients were also administered an IADL questionnaire.

Predictors of performance-based measures of instrumental activities of daily living in nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease.

Few studies have examined instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) in nondemented Parkinson's disease (PD), and the majority of these studies have used report-based measures, which can have limited validity. The present study had two main goals: (a) to examine the performance of nondemented PD patients on two performance-based measures of iADLs, which are considered more objective functional measures, and (b) to examine the cognitive, motor, and psychiatric correlates of iADL impairment in PD. Ninety-eight nondemented PD patients and 47 healthy older adults were administered performance-based measures that assess the ability to manage medications (Medication Management Ability Assessment) and finances (University of California, San Diego, UCSD, Performance-based Skills Assessment), the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale to assess global cognitive functioning, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III to assess motor symptom severity, and the Geriatric Depression Scale to assess depressive symptoms.

Predictors of discrepancies in Parkinson's disease patient and caregiver ratings of apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction before and after diagnosis.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient and caregiver reports of patient functioning are often used interchangeably in clinical and research settings; however, the consistency of these reports is largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the consistency and predictors of discrepancy between self- and caregiver reports of patient apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction. Fifty-one pairs of nondemented PD patients and their caregivers completed the frontal systems behavior scale (FrSBe).

Cognitive and functional decline in Huntington's disease: dementia criteria revisited.

The importance of designating criteria for diagnosing dementia lies in its implications for clinical treatment, research, caregiving, and decision-making. Dementia diagnosis in Huntington's disease (HD) is often based on criteria developed for Alzheimer's disease requiring memory loss. However, it is likely that other cognitive deficits contribute to functional impairment in HD before memory declines.