The likelihood that a person with Parkinson's will develop dementia is lower than previously thought, new research shows One study of Parkinson's patients found just 9% developing dementia within 10 years of their diagnosis Dementia may also typically occur later in the life span, if it does arise THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Many people with Parkinson's disease may fear dementia as a common consequence of the disease. But new research suggests dementia is not inevitable with Parkinson's, and in fact is less common than presumed.
If dementia does occur, it typically does so much later in life than was previously assumed, the study also found. “These results provide more hopeful estimates of the long-term risk of dementia for people with Parkinson’s disease, suggesting that there is a longer window to intervene to prevent or delay cognitive decline," said study lead author , of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia. The findings were published Aug.
7 in the journal . As Weintraub noted in a journal news release, "the development of dementia is feared by people with Parkinson’s, and the combination of both a movement disorder and a cognitive disorder can be devastating to them and their loved ones." Prior studies had suggested that 80% of Parkinson's patients might develop within 15 to 20 years of being diagnosed with Parkinson's.
“While these studies were important in highlighting the issue of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease, t.