Parkinsonism in MCI or mild Alzheimer’s disease

Examining 106 subjects aged 60-97 years, Sasaki [1] recently found parkinsonism (rigidity, resting tremor, reduced dopamine transporter in basal ganglia) in 52.8% of cases with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 63) or mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n = 43). Their mean age (80.6 ± 6.1 SD years) was significantly higher than those without extrapyramidal signs (EPS) (77.6 ± 7.0 SD years). In contrast to earlier studies reporting a higher frequency of EPS in later stages of AD [2], the present study indicated a higher prevalence rate of mild parkinsonism in earlier stages of AD.