Factor analysis-derived cognitive profile predicting early dementia conversion in PD

摘要

We retrospectively reviewed detailed medical records of 350 drug-naive patients with early-stage PD (follow-up >3 years) who underwent a detailed neuropsychological test at initial assessment. Factor analysis was conducted to determine cognitive profiles that yielded 4 cognitive function factors: factor 1, visual memory/visuospatial; factor 2, verbal memory; factor 3, frontal/executive; and factor 4, attention/working memory/language. Subsequently, we assessed the effect of these cognitive function factors on the risk for dementia conversion. We also constructed a nomogram to calculate the risk for developing dementia over a 5-year follow-up period based on these cognitive profiles.