Rishira Fernando

• Improving the clinical assessment of parkinsonism in mild cognitive impairment
• MB BS (NUMED Malaysia)

This research focused on spotting parkinsonism, a key diagnostic feature for mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB), which can be challenging to detect. The researchers attempted to use different scales to detect parkinsonism and eventually settled on a five-feature scale, derived from the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), to identify parkinsonism in patients with Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This scale includes five key symptoms: tremor at rest, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), action tremor, facial expression, and rigidity.

The effectiveness of this scale was tested on two separate groups of MCI patients. The results showed that the scale was successful in identifying parkinsonism in these patients. However, a lower cut-off point had to be used for MCI patients compared to dementia patients, as their symptoms aren’t as visible.

This research study will help identify more patients with MCI-LB, thus allowing better access to patient management.

Funded by: Newcastle University Research Scholarship

Project Supervisor: Dr Paul Donaghy