Subjective cognitive decline in idiopathic Parkinson´s disease: A systematic review

Cognitive symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been long underestimated, but are some of the most disabling non-motor features of the disease. In order to establish signs that allow for earlier detection of cognitive decline in PD, the concept of `subjective cognitive decline´ (SCD) has gained a growing interest. SCD refers to patients who report a decline in subjective cognitive capacities, while their results on neuropsychological tests are within the normal performance range, indicating adequate cognitive functions. The aim of this review was to evaluate the concept of SCD in PD and give an overview of the current research. A systematic literature search in PubMed was performed to identify articles published before December 2020. We included 18 studies with a total of n = 2,654 patients. While there is currently no consensus on research or clinical criteria for SCD in PD, this review presents the accumulated evidence for SCD in PD patients and supports the importance of early identification of cognitive deficits, due to the relatively high prevalence for SCD in PD and the added risk of future cognitive impairment it entails. The publications included in this review indicate that SCD may be part of the PD spectrum but further research is needed. Expanding research on SCD in PD will allow for earlier detection of cognitive impairment and may foster preventive interventions.

Investigating the effect of proactive interference control training on intrusive memories

Intrusive re-experiencing is a hallmark symptom of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to prominent models of intrusive phenomena, intrusive memories may result from impairments in the efficiency of working memory capacity (WMC), more specifically proactive interference control. Yet, experimental research is scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate experimentally the role of proactive interference control in intrusive memories. We randomly assigned 57 healthy participants to either receive a high interference control training or a low interference control training. Participants were then exposed to highly distressing film clips. WMC was assessed before and after the training. Intrusion symptoms were assessed directly post-training and after one week using an Intrusion Provocation Task (IPT), a one-week intrusions diary, and the retrospective intrusion subscale of the Impact of Event Sale - Revised (IES-R). Results indicated that both groups reported improvements in WMC and fewer intrusions on the second IPT post-training, with no differences between groups. Similarly, no group differences on intrusions were found at one-week follow-up (i.e., intrusion diary and IES-R). To conclude, these data are not consistent with the hypothesis that WMC plays a role in intrusive re-experiencing. Implications for future research are discussed.

Remission of suicidal thoughts: Findings from a longitudinal epidemiological study

BACKGROUND

Suicide ideation is common in young women. The present study investigated factors associated with the remission of suicidal thoughts in a representative sample of woman aged 18-24 years.

METHODS

A total of 1389 women were interviewed at a baseline assessment and again 17 months later. Social support, satisfaction with life, self-efficacy and positive mental health were considered as predictors of remission of suicidal thoughts - controlling for severity of psychopathology.

RESULTS

Remission of suicidal thoughts was experienced by 67.4% of the respondents, whereas 32.6% continued to have suicide ideation at both assessments. In multiple logistic regression analyses, social support and positive mental health emerged as significant predictors of remission. Severity of psychopathology did not predict the course of suicide ideation.

LIMITATION

Suicide ideation was assessed only with the respective item of the Beck Depression Inventory.

CONCLUSION

Protective factors, especially social support and positive mental health, outperform psychopathology in predicting the course of suicide ideation.