The Parkinson's Disease Foundation states that about 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed every year with Parkinson's disease. Caused by a dopamine deficiency in the brain, Parkinson's disease is characterized by movement problems and tremors. As the disease develops, patients can also display cognitive deficits, such as memory problems that become worse over time.
Dementia
Another degenerative disease, dementia, affects essential brain functions and is found in more advanced cases of Parkinson's disease. The damage from the dementia is irreversible. It affects the patient's language, judgment, memory, personality and perception skills, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When symptoms of dementia begin, the patient develops problems such as getting lost on familiar routes, misplacing items and having difficulty finding the names for familiar items. The patient can also have a loss of interest in activities he once enjoyed and a loss of social skills. As the dementia advances, cognitive deficits become more noticeable. For example, in the later stages of dementia, the patient no longer understands language and cannot recognize family members.
Memory Loss
A patient with Parkinson's disease can experience memory loss, whether or not she has also developed dementia. The memory loss can be divided into two categories: retrograde amnesia and anterograde amnesia. If the patient has retrograde amnesia, then she has problems recalling memories from her past. For example, the patient may forget details about her life. If the patient has anterograde amnesia, she has problems creating new memories. For example, the patient may not remember she has an important doctor's appointment. A Parkinson's disease patient can have both types of memory loss, and they can get progressively worse as the disease develops.
Confusion
Confusion can also occur with Parkinson's disease, which the NIH defines as slower thinking, disorientation and problems with decision making, memory and attention. When asked, a patient with confusion may not know his name, age or the day's date. Confusion is considered serious if it lasts more than ten minutes. A Parkinson's disease patient who is displaying signs of confusion should not be left by himself and should be monitored closely for further mental deterioration.
