Study shows how impaired brain impacts cognitive function in Parkinson’s patients

RESEARCHERS from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have in a new study unravelled how disrupted brain activity impacts cognitive functions in Parkinson's patients.

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The study focussed on altered reward processing in Parkinson's patients to decode why Parkinson's patients lack motivation and have impaired decision-making.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder mainly causing shaky limbs, muscle stiffness, and slow movements. However, some Parkinson's patients also manifest symptoms such as a lack of motivation or disability in experiencing pleasure, attributed to a lack of dopamine hormone.

Commonly known as the 'feel-good' hormone, dopamine is generally produced when performing a pleasurable task or receiving a reward.

Lack of dopamine in individuals with Parkinson's leads to altered brain activity and impaired reward processing -- the brain's ability to recognise, value, and respond to rewarding stimuli.

To investigate reward processing in individuals with Parkinson's, the team used brain signals.