A-75 Effects of Rivastigmine on Neurocognitive Deficits in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

ObjectiveCognitive impairments are commonly seen in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, identification and tracking of cognitive deficits are not always part of treatment plans. Cholinergic treatment with rivastigmine has demonstrated beneficial effects on cognition and gait stability in PD-dementia, but less evidence exists in PD-mild cognitive impairment. We investigated the cognitive effects of rivastigmine treatment in a 3-month open-label pilot study. Method31 participants with PD and mild–moderate cognitive impairment (24 male; mean age = 71.7; mean years-of-education = 17.2; mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score = 21.7) completed pre-testing in a single-site, non-randomized study at the University of Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. A subset of 12 patients returned for follow-up after 12 weeks of rivastigmine treatment. A physical examination, the MoCA, and a computerized cognitive measure (NeuroTrax) were completed at each session. It was hypothesized that rivastigmine would benefit cognition, particularly executive functioning. ResultsRivastigmine benefited global cognitive functioning as measured by both the MoCA (t(10) = −2.5, p