What is it about?
People with Parkinson’s disease often experience not only movement problems, but also depression, pain, and difficulties with thinking. However, it is not always clear how these symptoms are connected. In this study, we examined whether motor symptoms might explain the relationship between depression and cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease. We also explored whether these relationships differ between motor subtypes of Parkinson’s disease. We found that motor symptoms were strongly related to cognitive performance and appeared to explain part of the relationship between depression and cognition, particularly in patients with the postural instability/gait difficulty subtype. Pain, however, was not associated with cognitive performance in our sample. These findings suggest that motor symptoms may play an important role in how mood and cognition are connected in Parkinson’s disease.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how motor and non-motor symptoms interact in Parkinson’s disease may help clinicians better recognize and monitor cognitive problems. Our results highlight the importance of assessing motor symptoms, mood, and cognition together, especially in patients with the PIGD subtype.
Perspectives
As a clinical neuropsychologist, I frequently see how motor and non-motor symptoms interact in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In clinical practice, depression, pain, motor difficulties, and cognitive complaints often occur together, but it is not always clear how they are related. This study was motivated by the question of whether motor symptoms might help explain the link between mood and cognition. Understanding these relationships may help clinicians better recognize cognitive vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease, particularly in patients with the PIGD subtype.
Nour Alkaduhimi
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Associations Among Pain, Depression, Cognition, and Motor Function in Parkinson’s Disease, Journal of Neuropsychiatry, March 2026, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20250228.
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