Levodopa improves time-based prospective memory in Parkinson's disease.
The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of acute levodopa administration on the performance of a group of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) on a time-based prospective memory task. Twenty PD patients and 15 healthy controls were administered a task that required executing three actions after 10 min had elapsed in three consecutive trials. Scores were computed for correct recall of the intention to perform the actions and for correct execution of the actions. PD participants were evaluated after a 12-hr drug wash-out in two conditions: (1) after levodopa administration ("on"); (2) without drug administration ("off"). In the "on" condition, PD patients were significantly more accurate in retrieving the intention to perform the actions than in the "off" condition and their performance was actually comparable to that of healthy controls. The increased accuracy in complying with the prospective memory task following levodopa medication supports the idea that dopamine depletion plays a role in the prospective memory deficits observed in PD patients.
Costa
Alberto
A
Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy. a.costa@hsantalucia.it
Peppe
Antonella
A
Brusa
Livia
L
Caltagirone
Carlo
C
Gatto
Ilaria
I
Carlesimo
Giovanni Augusto
GA
D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013998:Time Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D007980:Levodopa