Does Response Inhibition Have Pre- and Postdiagnostic Utility in Parkinson's Disease?

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Parkinson's disease (Pd) is the second most prevalent degenerative neurological condition worldwide. Improving and sustaining quality of life is an important goal for Parkinson's patients. Key areas of focus to achieve this goal include earlier diagnosis and individualized treatment. In this review the authors discuss impulse control in Pd and examine how measures of impulse control from a response inhibition task may provide clinically useful information (a) within an objective test battery to aid earlier diagnosis of Pd and (b) in postdiagnostic Pd, to better identify individuals at risk of developing impulse control disorders with dopaminergic medication.

Keywords:

• Parkinson's disease
• biomarkers
• individualized treatment
• response inhibition
• impulse control disorders

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank the reviewers for insightful comments on earlier versions of this article. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

FUNDING

This work was supported by a W & B Miller scholarship from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand (to Dr. H. J. MacDonald).