Impulsiveness and executive functions in Parkinson’s disease

ABSTRACT Cognitive functions, such as impulsiveness and executive functions, are often impaired in Parkinson’s disease. Objective: to analyze the relationship between impulsiveness and executive functions (EF) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: a correlation study involving a sample of 50 patients with an established diagnosis of PD aged 40 years or older was conducted using the following instruments: Demographic Questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MOCA-B), Barratt’s Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Results: Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated low associations (p<0.05) between the MOCA-B and BIS-11, with a value of -0.11, and between the FAB and BIS-11, with a value of -0.16. A significant correlation between the MOCA-B and FAB was found, with a value of 0.73. Conclusion: this study revealed an association between EF and other cognitive functions, but no association between impulsivity and EF in Parkinson’s disease.