Effects of cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson disease: a meta-analysis

Background and objectives Cognitive symptoms are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and affect patients’ quality of life. Pharmacological interventions often do not improve such deficits that might benefit of cognitive rehabilitation. However, previous meta-analysis on this topic reported inconsistent results. Clarifying the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation would be pivotal to optimize treatment and reduce care’s costs. This meta-analysis aims at determining whether current literature lays in favor of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation in PD and at understanding whether its effect might change depending on the trained cognitive domain. Methods We searched online databases for studies concerning cognitive rehabilitation in PD. Fourteen studies encompassing 767 participants were included. Analyses were conducted for each cognitive domain separately, examining several neuropsychological measures for each function. Results We found that rehabilitation improves global cognition, executive functions, and long- and short-term memory. Conclusion The current body of research indicates that cognitive rehabilitation improves specific cognitive deficits in PD and that it should be tailored on patients’ specific impairments. These interventions should be employed considering that not all the cognitive domains might benefit of a cognitive training. Finally, the high heterogeneity among studies suggests the need for more controlled clinical trials.