Article

One of the objectives of the French expert centers for Parkinson's
disease (NS-Park) network was to determine a consensus procedure for assessing
cognitive function in patients with Parkinson's.
This article presents this
procedure and briefly describes the selected tests.
METHODS: A group of 13
experts used the Delphi method for consensus building to define the overall
structure and components of the assessment procedure. For inclusion in the
battery, tests had to be validated in the French language, require little motor
participation, have normative data and be recognized by the international
community. Experimental tasks and tests requiring specific devices were excluded.
RESULTS: Two possibilities were identified, depending on whether an abbreviated
or comprehensive assessment of cognitive function was necessary. For an
abbreviated assessment, the experts recommended the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
(MoCA) as a screening test for cognitive impairment or dementia. For a
comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, the experts recommended assessing
global efficiency plus the five main cognitive domains (attention and working
memory, executive function, episodic memory, visuospatial function and language)
that may be impaired in Parkinson's disease, using two tests for each domain.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: A common procedure for assessing cognitive function is
now available across the French network dedicated to Parkinson's disease, and is
recommended for both research and clinical practice. It will also help to promote
standardization of the neuropsychological assessment of Parkinson's disease.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS