Prognostic factors for cognitive intervention responsiveness in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review revealing inconsistent methodology and evidence
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Cognitive dysfunction is among the most disabling non-motor symptoms experienced by people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Although cognitive interventions may improve cognitive functioning, reported effects are generally small and heterogeneous. Therefore, understanding how patient characteristics and intervention features influence responsiveness to cognitive interventions is essential. To date, no systematic review has specifically examined prognostic factors and models associated with responsiveness to cognitive interventions in PwPD. This systematic review aimed to provide an overview of the evidence on prognostic factors and models of responsiveness to cognitive interventions in PwPD. MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, and CINAHL were searched up to June 2025. Full-text publications in English, German, or Italian were eligible for inclusion. Studies were included if they involved PwPD aged ≥18 years, irrespective of sex or cognitive status, and investigated prognostic factors and/or predictive models of responsiveness to cognitive interventions for cognitive or non-cognitive outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Findings were synthesized narratively by extracting relevant information from the included studies. Twenty-seven publications comprising 835 PwPD were included. Across studies, eleven factor finding approaches and one factor finding model were employed. Individual-related factors (e.g., age, education, cognitive baseline level) were investigated more frequently than intervention-related factors (e.g., analog vs. digital). The most consistent finding was that lower baseline cognitive performance was associated with greater gains following cognitive intervention. Risk-of-bias assessment revealed substantial methodological limitations across studies. The conclusions that can be drawn from the current evidence are limited by considerable heterogeneity in study methodology and investigated factors. Determining which characteristics influence responsiveness to cognitive intervention in PwPD remains an important research gap. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251079163, identifier: CRD420251079163.
Source: Frontiers in Cognition
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7223117214