by Parkinson’s disease is an age-related degenerative brain condition that causes involuntary or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
According to a study People who gain or lose weight shortly after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may be more likely to experience changes in their thinking skills than those who maintain their weight. Kim, R., et al. (2022)
The 358 research participants with Parkinson’s disease who had just received their diagnosis and had not yet begun taking their medication were included in the study. They were 61 years old on average and had been identified two years earlier on average. They were tested with 174 individuals who were free of Parkinson’s disease.
A change of more than 3% in body weight during the study’s first year was considered to be either weight gain or reduction. A change of no more than 3% or no change at all was considered weight maintenance. 98 individuals lost weight, 59 individuals gained weight, and 201 individuals maintained their weight.
Thinking ability tests were administered to participants at the start of the study and subsequently once a year for up to eight years. They also underwent examinations for additional non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.
Comparatively to Parkinson’s patients who maintained their weight, those who dropped weight experienced a faster decline in their overall thinking scores. The starting test results for both groups were 27, on average. In comparison to those who maintained their weight, the scores of those who dropped weight decreased by 0.19 points more quickly each year. Verbal fluency skills, a gauge of executive function, were associated with the thinking abilities that suffered the greatest reductions.
As compared to those with Parkinson’s who maintained their weight, those with Parkinson’s who gained weight saw a slower fall in their results on a test of processing speed.
Weight change did not correlate with any other non-motor symptoms.
There was no correlation between weight changes and cognitive skill test results in those without Parkinson’s disease.
These results show the potential value of weight control in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, according to Jun. To find out whether taking measures to stop weight loss could decrease cognitive deterioration in patients with Parkinson’s, more research is required.
The study simply demonstrates a connection; it does not establish causation between weight change and changes in cognitive abilities.
The study had a limitation in that it was unable to determine if being underweight or fat had a different impact on thinking abilities. Additionally, they were unable to take into account whether a weight fluctuation was purposeful or accidental.
Source:
Journal reference:
Kim, R., et al. (2022) Association of Early Weight Change with Cognitive Decline in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000201404.
