Home › Research › How common it is
Predicting dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease
Mohamed Aborageh, Tom Hähnel, Patricia Martins Conde, Jochen Klucken, Holger Fröhlich. npj Parkinson s Disease, 2025-05-13
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibits a variety of symptoms, with approximately 25% of patients experiencing mild cognitive impairment and 45% developing dementia within ten years of diagnosis. Predicting this progression and identifying its causes remains challenging. Our study utilizes machine learning and multimodal data from the UK Biobank to explore the predictability of Parkinson's dementia (PDD) post-diagnosis, further validated by data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. Using Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) and Bayesian Network structure learning, we analyzed interactions among genetic predisposition, comorbidities, lifestyle, and environmental factors. We concluded that genetic predisposition is the dominant factor, with significant influence from comorbidities. Additionally, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to establish potential causal links between hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and PDD, suggesting that managing blood pressure and glucose levels in Parkinson's patients may serve as a preventive strategy. This study identifies risk factors for PDD and proposes avenues for prevention.
Key findings
- We concluded that genetic predisposition is the dominant factor, with significant influence from comorbidities.
- Additionally, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to establish potential causal links between hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and PDD, suggesting that managing blood pressure and glucose levels in Parkinson's patients may serve as a preventive strategy.
Why it matters
Using machine learning and Mendelian randomization, this study found genetic predisposition to be the dominant factor for dementia in Parkinson's disease, with comorbidities also influential, and suggested potential causal links with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It proposes that managing blood pressure and glucose in Parkinson's patients may serve as a preventive strategy, but this was not tested in a trial.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Alzheimer's in numbers →
Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed 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 | 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 | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” 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 | 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.3× 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 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Holger Fröhlich: h-index 46 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Bonn: institution h-index 1,072 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40360514) |
| 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/s41531-025-00983-4
- PubMed: 40360514
- 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
Aborageh, M., Hähnel, T., Conde, P. M., Klucken, J., & Fröhlich, H. (2025). Predicting dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-00983-4
Vancouver
Aborageh M, Hähnel T, Conde PM, Klucken J, Fröhlich H. Predicting dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson s Disease. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41531-025-00983-4. PMID: 40360514.
BibTeX
@article{aborageh2025-40360514,
author = {Aborageh, Mohamed and Hähnel, Tom and Conde, Patricia Martins and Klucken, Jochen and Fröhlich, Holger},
title = {{Predicting dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease}},
journal = {npj Parkinson s Disease},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41531-025-00983-4},
pmid = {40360514},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-00983-4}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 15.