Patients with Parkinson's disease demonstrate deficits in visual-spatial memory in the Chinese Visual Retention Test.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the existence of visual-spatial memory deficit in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) without dementia in the Chinese Visual Retention Test, as well as to assess whether their performance is related to age, duration, severity, stage, and dopamine (DA) dose.

METHODS: Forty-two patients with PD and 30 healthy controls were included in our study. The Chinese Visual Retention Test was used to evaluate the visual-spatial memory of the subjects. Parameters of the Chinese Visual Retention Test were compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the associations of the Chinese Visual Retention Test with age, duration, severity, stage of PD, and DA dose.

RESULTS: Three correct scores in the Chinese Visual Retention Test were all significantly lower in the PD group than in the control group. The total error scores, error scores of omissions, deformation, and persistence in the PD group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Correlation analysis showed the total error scores in the Chinese Visual Retention Test was positively correlated with UPDRS III score and H-Y classification. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the total error scores in the Chinese Visual Retention Test were associated with the UPDRS III score and H-Y classification.

CONCLUSION: Patients with PD without dementia had visual-spatial memory deficits in the Chinese Visual Retention Test which may be affected by the severity and clinical stage of PD.