Sarcopenia, low muscle strength, cognitive functions, and quality of life in parkinsonian syndromes

•Parkinsonian syndromes are disabling diseases.•Both muscle and cognitive domains are frequently impaired.•No information is available on their association.•Sarcopenia is associated with worse cognitive function and quality of life.•Among its components, only muscle dysfunction appears to play a major role. Parkinsonian syndromes are disabling neurodegenerative diseases resulting in reduced muscle function/performance and sarcopenia, but clinical manifestations could be systemic, including deterioration of cognitive function. As studies have reported an association between muscle dysfunction and cognitive decline yet no information on these syndromes is available, we investigated the relationship between sarcopenia, its components, and cognitive function, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL). Consecutive patients affected by parkinsonian syndromes were assessed for the presence of sarcopenia using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People-2 algorithm: low strength (handgrip strength: