Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease: Interest of an Early Group-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation Program (LIFECOG-PD)

Summary

Current pharmacological treatments have not demonstrated significant improvement in cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). Given the high prevalence and serious impact of cognitive impairment in PD, there is a pressing need for non-pharmacological interventions with demonstrated functional benefits. Cognitive rehabilitation is a structured program designed to help improve or compensate for patients' cognitive abilities by providing an approach tailored to each patient's individual needs and goals. Neuropsychologists from French Parkinson's Disease expert centers have developed a new cognitive rehabilitation program called LifeCOG-PD, for PD patients with a subjective cognitive complaint or a mild cognitive impairment (MCI), delivered at the hospital in seven 90-minute sessions conducted in groups of 3-4 participants. This program, combining psychoeducation, practical strategies, and personalized goal setting, aims to maintain patients' daily autonomy, enhance quality of life, and delay the cognitive impact of the disease. By evaluating feasibility, acceptability and functional outcomes, this study will contribute critical data to inform future PD management guidelines to help support autonomy and cognitive resilience in PD.

Interventions

• cognitive rehabilitation program · OTHER

  Patients will receive the program in 7 sessions of 1.5 hours each at their expert centre, spaced 15 days apart, in groups of 3-4 patients. The sessions will address theoretical and practical topics such as working memory and executive functions, attention, and prospective memory in relation to their personal goals.

Published eligibility criteria

Verbatim from the registry. Only the site can decide how these apply to a specific patient.

Inclusion Criteria:

* • Men or women ≥18 years old, diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease according to the official diagnostic criteria defined by the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) ;

  * Without cognitive impairment based on neuropsychological evaluation or meeting level 2 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) criteria defined by the MDS, and presenting an early subjective cognitive complaint defined by a score between 1 and 8 on the Subjective Cognitive Complaints Questionnaire for Parkinson's Disease (SCCQ-PD)
  * Non-demented according to MDS criteria
  * Ability to understand the protocol;
  * Ability to provide free and informed consent;
  * Patients covered by a social insurance system.

Exclusion Criteria:

* • Any associated neurological disorder or active psychiatric pathology, including severe depressive episode or active psychotic episode. Participants with a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score above 21 will be excluded from the study and referred to an appropriate healthcare professional for further evaluation and follow-up as needed.

  * Patients meeting the criteria for Parkinson's disease dementia
  * Any clinical sign suggesting atypical parkinsonian syndrome (ocular motor disorder, cognitive impairment, apraxia, early falls).
  * Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  * Participants under legal protection measures such as judicial protection, deprivation of liberty, curatorship, or guardianship.

Sites (1)

• CHU de Clermont-Fd, Clermont-Ferrand, France