Cognitive Self-Efficacy in Parkinson's Disease.
Pooja M Jethani, Joan Toglia, Erin R Foster
PMID 37905522WHAT IT FOUND
People with Parkinson's disease without dementia reported lower confidence in their ability to manage cognitive symptoms than healthy adults.
This low self-efficacy was linked to higher depression and greater medication dosage, suggesting patients may feel unable to cope with cognitive challenges even when recognizing them.
Key findings
01Participants with Parkinson's disease reported significantly lower cognitive self-efficacy scores than healthy controls across all measured domains.
02Within the Parkinson's group, confidence in managing cognitive symptoms was specifically lower than confidence in recognizing symptoms or performing complex daily activities.
03Higher depressive symptoms and higher levodopa equivalent daily doses were associated with lower cognitive self-efficacy scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study did not assess actual functional cognitive performance, so it is unclear if self-efficacy beliefs matched real abilities. The sample consisted of independent, community-dwelling adults with mild disease, so findings may not apply to those with more severe impairment or dementia. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether low self-efficacy causes cognitive decline or results from it.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume low self-efficacy reflects poor actual cognitive performance. The study did not test functional cognition, so patients may be underestimating their abilities or overestimating their deficits. Treat self-efficacy as a distinct psychological factor influencing engagement, not as a proxy for cognitive capacity.