Frontal Cognitive Function and Memory in Parkinson’s Disease: Toward a Distinction between Prospective and Declarative Memory Impairments?

Abstract

Memory dysfunction is a frequent concomitant of Parkinson's disease (PD). Historically, two classes of hypotheses, focusing on different cognitive mechanisms, have been advanced to explain this memory impairment: one postulating retrieval deficits (common to several neurodegenerative disorders involving the basal ganglia), and the other postulating frontally mediated executive deficits as fundamental to memory impairment. After outlining empirical support for the retrieval deficit hypothesis, research on the more recent “frontal executive deficit hypothesis” is reviewed, and major challenges to this hypothesis are identified. It is concluded that the frontal executive deficit hypothesis cannot adequately account for all memory impairments in PD, and that a more parsimonious theoretical account might invoke a distinction between prospective and declarative memory impairments. It is suggested that there may be three subgroups of PD patients: one demonstrating prospective memory dysfunction only, one with declarative memory dysfunction only, and one with both prospective and declarative memory dysfunction. Consequently, PD might provide a useful model within which to investigate the relationship between prospective and declarative memory.

A differential deficit in time- versus event-based prospective memory in Parkinson's disease.

“…Many fewer studies have examined the nature, extent, and cognitive mechanisms of prospective memory (ProM) impairment in PD (Altgassen et al, 2007; McDaniel & Einstein, 2007; Choudhry & Saint-Cyr, 2001; Costa et al, 2008a; 2008b; Foster et al, 2009; Katai, 1999; Katai et al, 2003; Kliegel et al, 2005; Tröster, & Fields, 1995). ProM is a unique component of episodic memory that refers to one's ability to independently execute a prescribed intention in response to an appropriate cue at some point in the future (i.e., “remembering to remember”).…”

“…Although disruptions in ProM have been suspected in patients with PD for quite some time (Tröster & Fields, 1995; Knight et al, 1998) only recently have empirical studies directly examined this issue. As compared to healthy adults, patients with PD report more frequent and severe day-to-day ProM failures, especially on self-cued tasks (e.g., Foster et al, 2009) and short-term routine activities (Choudhry & Saint-Cyr, 2001).…”

Detection of mild cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease patients with the WAIS–R NI

“…The most prominent deficits occur in the so-called frontal lobe or executive functions (Bondi et al, 1993;Cooper et al, 1991;Gotham et al, 1988;Jacobs et al, 1995) and include impaired retrieval (Auriacombe et al, 1993;Massman et al, 1990;McFadden et al, 1996;Mohr et al, 1990;Randolph et al, 1993;Tröster & Fields, 1995), processing difficulties when confronted with a situation that requires a highly effortful response (Taylor & Saint-Cyr, 1995;Weingartner et al, 1984), deficits in working memory (Dalrymple-Alford et al, 1994), abnormally rapid disengagement of attention (i.e., difficulty maintaining attention to relevant visual stimuli; Filoteo et al, 1994;Maddox et al, 1996), and an instability of cognitive set (Flowers & Robertson, 1985). Deficits in visuospatial abilities have also been demonstrated in nondemented patients with PD (Bondi et al, 1993;Levin et al, 1991;Mohr et al, 1990;Stern et al, 1993), and may be due, in part, to executive dysfunction (Bondi et al, 1993;Levin et al, 1991;Mohr et al, 1990) or to deficits in visual attention (Filoteo et al, 1994).…”

Exploring recollection and familiarity impairments in Parkinson’s disease

“…As previously stated, PD patients tend to perform poorly in free recall tasks. This has theoretically been attributed to a deficit in retrieval (Tröster & Fields, 1995). According to this hypothesis, memory deterioration is caused by a selective impairment at the retrieval stage due to problems evoking the information learned.…”