The TOR1A polymorphism rs1182 and the risk of spread in primary blepharospasm.

Data on the prevalence and severity of cognitive
impairment among patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is limited. Using a prospectively
collected clinical database, we studied the longitudinal
trend of mini-mental state examination (MMSE)
change and baseline factors predictive for MMSE decline.
One hundred six patients with mean age of 61.2 years
and mean baseline MMSE of 27.8 ± 2.3 were studied.
MMSE increased by 0.4 points/year among patients without
cognitive decline (n = 73) and decreased by 2.39
points/year among patients with cognitive decline (n =
33). Univariate analysis demonstrated education, age of
diagnosis, depression, and diabetes mellitus to be associated
with cognitive decline. Motor scores and hallucination
were not associated with cognitive decline. Multivariate
analysis demonstrated higher level of education to be
protective (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.82–0.99, P = 0.047) and
depression having borderline significance in predicting
cognitive decline (HR = 2.00, 95% CI 0.97–4.15, P =
0.061). We found that 31% of newly diagnosed idiopathic
PD patients have measurable cognitive decline at an early
stage of disease. Higher education is protective while
depression may be predictive of cognitive decline.