DEMENTIA AND ITS COGNITIVE EFFECTS IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Abstract

Introduction: The association of cognitive degeneration and the evolution to a dementia are intrinsically linked, when in patients with Parkinson's Disease. Objective: The cognitive damage that affects the individual with PD and how this degeneration can influence the active life of the elderly. Materials and Methods: A case study involving the analysis of qualitative research on cognitive delay and dementia, focusing on the investigation of the neurological processes that are responsible for the decrease in the cognitive capacity of patients with PD. Original articles published between 2017 and 2022, in English and Portuguese, were used, with research age group aimed at the elderly public. Results: Dementia affects the vast majority of patients with PD, causing a decrease in cognition, which leads to memory loss, loss of movement, confusion, among others. At the time of diagnosis, it is already possible to notice small changes in the patient's development, in addition to functional losses that cause the debilitations. Conclusion: The detriment of individuals' mental capacity is related to the functional loss of brain cells, which is increasingly progressive as the disease progresses.