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Dementia associated with Parkinson's disease
Emre M.. The Lancet. Neurology, 2003-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Dementia affects about 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease; the incidence of dementia in these patients is up to six times that in healthy people. Clinically, the prototype of dementia in PD is a dysexecutive syndrome. Loss of cholinergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic innervation has been suggested to be the underlying neurochemical deficits. Nigral pathology alone is probably not sufficient for the development of dementia. Although there is some controversy with regard to the site and type of pathology involved, dementia is likely to be associated with the spread of pathology to other subcortical nuclei, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. On the basis of more recent studies, the main pathology seems to be Lewy-body-type degeneration with associated cellular and synaptic loss in cortical and limbic structures. Alzheimer's disease-type pathology is commonly associated with dementia but less predictive. Recent evidence from small studies suggests that cholinesterase inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of dementia associated with PD.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Emre, M. (2003). Dementia associated with Parkinson's disease. The Lancet. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(03)00351-x
Vancouver
Emre M. Dementia associated with Parkinson's disease. The Lancet. Neurology. 2003. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(03)00351-x. PMID: 12849211.
BibTeX
@article{emre2003-12849211,
author = {Emre, M.},
title = {{Dementia associated with Parkinson's disease}},
journal = {The Lancet. Neurology},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1016/s1474-4422(03)00351-x},
pmid = {12849211},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(03)00351-x}
}
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.
Key findings
- Although there is some controversy with regard to the site and type of pathology involved, dementia is likely to be associated with the spread of pathology to other subcortical nuclei, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex.
- Alzheimer's disease-type pathology is commonly associated with dementia but less predictive.
- Recent evidence from small studies suggests that cholinesterase inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of dementia associated with PD.
Why it matters
This review describes dementia in Parkinson's disease as linked to Lewy-body-type damage spreading beyond the substantia nigra, and notes small studies suggesting cholinesterase inhibitors may help. The treatment evidence comes from small studies and is not established as a cure.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Lancet Neurology: journal h-index 457 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2003 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 686 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 27.4 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 20.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Murat Emre: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Istanbul University: institution h-index 441 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12849211) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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