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= Paid-up subscribersCare of the elderly: Tackling dementia in patients with Parkinson’s disease
24 Jan 2011
Almost 200 years ago, James Parkinson described a condition with ‘involuntary tremulous motion, lessened voluntary powers,' but with ‘uninjured senses and intellect' that would later be named Parkinson's disease by Charcot. Since then, it has emerged that cognitive impairment is present in a large proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease. Cognitive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease are associated with more rapid deterioration and eventually, a two-fold increase in mortality. Patients with cognitive impairment place a greater burden on their care givers and many such patients are admitted to nursing homes. Primary care plays a significant role in the recognition of DLB and PDD. Early recognition and referral to a specialist memory clinic can help to educate the patient about their often worrying symptoms and initiate the relevant treatment. Through the involvement of the multidisciplinary team, appropriate care networks can be set up to provide support and education for both patients and carers.
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