We have become a screen society. Our days are often spent looking at screens rather than each other. I am no exception. There are digital versions of just about everything nowadays, including traditional board games. While apps can be convenient and beneficial, the feeling isn’t the same — using…

One in three people with early to mid-stage Parkinson’s disease were found to have difficulties in learning a new task by following instructions. The deficits were more prone during the early stages of learning, when new memories are being made, and were linked to poorer activation of certain brain…

A new behavioral test called the free-movement pattern Y-maze could be useful in assessing problems with working memory, both in animal models and people, a new study suggests. It may also help with research into neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. The study, “The Free-movement pattern Y-maze: A…

Cognitive abilities and problems with freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s disease do not seem to be significantly related, new research indicates. The study, “Cognitive function in people with and without freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease. Freezing is a relatively…

A form of repetitive transcranial brain stimulation known as intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) failed to improve cognitive function in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The study, “Impact of Prefrontal Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation on Working Memory and Executive Function in Parkinson’s Disease: A Double-Blind…

Specific motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease have a corresponding cognitive profile, with the tremor-dominant type being associated with less severe cognitive decline, a study reports. The study, “Cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease: the impact of the motor phenotype on cognition,” was published in the Journal of Neurology,…

Deficits in short-term memory, known as working memory, may underlie the compulsive “binge eating” observed in some Parkinson’s patients undergoing dopamine replacement therapy, a new study suggests. The research “Reward sensitivity in Parkinson’s patients with binge eating” was published in the journal Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. Parkinson’s patients…

While Parkinson’s disease is mainly associated with motor deficits, recent research shows that patients suffering this devastating disease are also plagued by difficulties in to communicate clearly. In an extensive review, Thomas Holtgraves and Chelsea Cadle from Ball State University in Indiana tease out which areas of communication might…