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Abstract
Objective: To examine the efficacy of cognitive speed of processing training (SOPT) among individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Moderators of SOPT were also examined.
Methods: Eighty-seven adults, 40 years of age or older, with a diagnosis of idiopathic PD in Hoehn & Yahr stages 1–3 and on a stable medication regimen were randomized to either 20 hours of self-administered SOPT (using InSight software) or a no-contact control condition. Participants were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of training (or an equivalent delay). The primary outcome measure was useful field of view test (UFOV) performance, and secondary outcomes included cognitive self-perceptions and depressive symptoms.
Results: Results indicated that participants randomized to SOPT experienced significantly greater improvements on UFOV performance relative to controls, Wilks λ = 0.938, F 1,72 = 4.79, p = 0.032, partial η2 = 0.062. Findings indicated no significant effect of training on secondary outcomes, Wilks λ = 0.987, F2,70 < 1, p = 0.637, partial η2 = 0.013.
Conclusions: Patients with mild to moderate stage PD can self-administer SOPT and improve their cognitive speed of processing, as indexed by UFOV (a robust predictor of driving performance in aging and PD). Further research should establish if persons with PD experience longitudinal benefits of such training and if improvements translate to benefits in functional activities such as driving.
Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that SOPT improves UFOV performance among persons in the mild to moderate stages of PD.
GLOSSARY
- CES-D=
- Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale;
- MANOVA=
- multivariate analysis of variance;
- MMSE=
- Mini-Mental State Examination;
- MoCA=
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment;
- PD=
- Parkinson disease;
- RA=
- research assistant;
- SOPT=
- speed of processing training;
- UFOV=
- useful field of view;
- UPDRS=
- Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale;
- USF=
- University of South Florida
Footnotes
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Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
Editorial, page 1278
- Received January 22, 2013.
- Accepted in final form May 31, 2013.
- © 2013 American Academy of Neurology
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