The executive functions of patients with Parkinson’s disease without dementia. Do patients with different levels of insight into their own executive functions differ in executive competences?

Executive dysfunctions (EDF) are a common problem among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In our study we compared the performance of tasks involving executive functions (EF) by healthy individuals (n = 15) and patients with PD without dementia (n = 15). We used the Polish version of the Stroop test, Trial Making Test, verbal fluency tasks and screening methods for assessment: level of depression (Geriatric Depression Scale – GDS) and cognitive functioning (Mini-Mental State Examination – MMSE). The subjects also completed the self-assessment questionnaire referring to executive difficulties in everyday life (Dysexecutive Questionnaire – version Self – DEX S). These results were compared with the assessments of severity of the difficulties made by relatives (version Informant – DEX I). The Parkinson’s disease group performed tasks at a lower level than the control group. In the PD group, based on the differences between DEX S and DEX I, subgroups were extracted and compared according to the levels of performance in EF tasks. The results show different profiles in patients with different levels of insight into their own executive functions.