CCN meeting | Marit Ruitenberg (Leiden University, The Netherlands), invited by Nico Böhler

Motor and cognitive functioning in neurodegenerative disorders: A dynamic duo.

Abstract: People with neurodegenerative disorders often experience problems across a variety of functional domains, including cognition, movement, and psychosocial functioning. The classification of these disorders is based on the phenotypical manifestations that represent the most prominent clinical features. For example, Parkinson’s disease is typically regarded as a movement disorder, whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are regarded as cognitive disorders. A problem with this classification is that it seems to disregard the fact that cognition and movement are actually strongly linked – successful motor performance does not only require the direct, physical control of muscles, but also involves cognitive control processes that allow us to engage in goal-directed behavior in the face of uncertain and/or changing environments. It therefore seems difficult (if not impossible) to separate between “pure” motor or cognitive conditions. In this talk I will show results from my work indicating that individuals living with what we currently classify as movement disorders can also experience cognitive problems, and vice versa. I propose that we should consider abandoning the classical movement versus cognitive disorder dichotomy when it comes to classifying neurodegenerative diseases.