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Data-driven characterization of distinct cognitive subtypes in Parkinson’s disease dementia
Miguel Ángel Labrador‐Espinosa, Jesús Silva‐Rodríguez, Pablo Mir, Michel J. Grothe. npj Parkinson s Disease, 2025-05-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Individual cognitive profiles of patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are highly heterogeneous, suggesting possible biological subtypes. We studied 75 PD patients who developed dementia in the course of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative study to investigate data-driven evidence for the existence of distinct cognitive subtypes of PDD. Using Ward's hierarchical clustering on neuropsychological test data, we identified two distinct cognitive subtypes. Despite similar dementia severity (MoCA: 20.6 vs 20.0), cluster-A exhibited more pronounced memory deficits (n = 50), whereas cluster-B showed greater visuospatial impairments (n = 25). The subtypes did not differ in demographic, motor, or MRI-based neurodegeneration measures. However, the visuospatial-predominant cluster-B had a higher prevalence of GBA mutations (p = 0.003) and hallucinations (p = 0.009). No differences were found in APOE-ε4 prevalence or cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's pathology. These findings reveal distinct memory-predominant and visuospatial-predominant PDD subtypes, which associate with different clinical and genetic features but are independent of comorbid Alzheimer's pathology.
Key findings
- These findings reveal distinct memory-predominant and visuospatial-predominant PDD subtypes, which associate with different clinical and genetic features but are independent of comorbid Alzheimer's pathology.
Why it matters
Among 75 Parkinson's disease patients who developed dementia, this study identified two cognitive subtypes: a memory-predominant group and a visuospatial-predominant group, with the visuospatial group having more GBA mutations and hallucinations. These subtypes were independent of comorbid Alzheimer's pathology, so this is about characterizing Parkinson's disease dementia, not treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants50
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (npj Parkinson s Disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Npj Parkinson s Disease: journal h-index 87 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 50 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Michel J. Grothe: h-index 56 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Gothenburg: institution h-index 972 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40346094) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41531-025-00970-9
- PubMed: 40346094
- Original source →
- Free full text: npj Parkinson s Disease →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Labrador‐Espinosa, M. Á., Silva‐Rodríguez, J., Mir, P., & Grothe, M. J. (2025). Data-driven characterization of distinct cognitive subtypes in Parkinson’s disease dementia. npj Parkinson s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-00970-9
Vancouver
Labrador‐Espinosa MÁ, Silva‐Rodríguez J, Mir P, Grothe MJ. Data-driven characterization of distinct cognitive subtypes in Parkinson’s disease dementia. npj Parkinson s Disease. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41531-025-00970-9. PMID: 40346094.
BibTeX
@article{labradorespinosa2025-40346094,
author = {Labrador‐Espinosa, Miguel Ángel and Silva‐Rodríguez, Jesús and Mir, Pablo and Grothe, Michel J.},
title = {{Data-driven characterization of distinct cognitive subtypes in Parkinson’s disease dementia}},
journal = {npj Parkinson s Disease},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41531-025-00970-9},
pmid = {40346094},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-00970-9}
}
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