Simran Romero
Research Mentor: Jonathan Reader
Mentor Department: Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Medicine
Author(s): Simran Romero, Jonathan Reader
Session: Session 5 (2:00 PM – 2:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 120
Abstract
Visuospatial processing (VSP), the ability to interpret visual stimuli, is critical for guiding interactions in real-world settings (Trojano & Conson, 2008). Declining VSP is common for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and those with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Understanding the differences in VSP decline among these individuals is critical for improving quality of life. However, previous studies have primarily relied on a single visuospatial assessment or have consisted of small samples. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized that individuals with PD would demonstrate poorer performance on visuospatial tasks than individuals with AD. Data were obtained from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set Version 3 and included three visuospatial assessments: Trail Making Test, Clock-drawing test, and Cube Copy Test. Participants had a research diagnosis of AD (n=7,857), PD (n=212), or both (n=76). Participants had a mean age of 74 years and were predominately White and highly educated. Analyses adjusted for motor severity, depression, and anxiety. Group differences were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis Tests, chi-square tests and Spearman correlations, as appropriate. Post-hoc pairwise Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Benjamini-Hochberg correction showed significantly lower visuospatial scores in the comorbid PD and AD group compared to the AD only group (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed between PD only and AD only groups (p=0.771). The comparison between PD only and comorbid PD and AD groups showed a non-significant trend (p=0.056). Contrary to our hypothesis, VSP scores did not differ significantly between participants with AD and PD only participants. These findings suggest that VSP impairment may not be substantially worse in PD when assessed using these specific VSP tasks, but highlights the complex relationship between VSP, PD, and AD in individuals with comorbid conditions. Future research should longitudinally examine a more diverse sample with more balanced diagnostic groups.
