title: Does education modify motor compensation in Parkinson's disease?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Alzheimer's disease, higher educational attainment is associated with fewer cognitive deficits despite similar pathological lesions. In animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), enhanced levels of cognitive and physical stimulation can reduce motor deficits due to dopaminergic neuronal loss. Therefore, in this study, we tested whether higher educational attainment has a beneficial influence on PD motor symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included data from 182 patients with de novo PD without dementia, who underwent dopamine transporter (DAT) scans for an initial diagnostic work-up. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their educational attainment; high education (HE-PD; ≥12years of education) and low education (LE-PD; <12years of education).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HE-PD group exhibited significantly higher mini-mental state exam scores, fewer motor deficits, and lower DAT binding to the posterior putamen than the LE-PD group, despite a similar duration of PD symptoms. A general linear model revealed that this difference in motor deficits remained statistically significant after controlling for potential confounding factors (p=0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that higher educational attainment can lead to reduced motor deficits in PD despite greater reductions in dopamine levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Neurology, Bundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mun K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sunwoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Phil H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: yhsohn62@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Young H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sohn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014326:Tropanes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D014326:Tropanes; C087552:2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane
keywords: Dopamine transporter; Education; Motor deficits; PET; Parkinson's disease