Sedentary Time is Associated with Worse Attention in Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be alleviated by moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), but no published research has characterized the relationship between objectively measured sedentary behavior and cognitive symptoms of PD. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the cross-sectional relationship between sedentary time and cognitive performance in a small pilot sample of individuals with mild-to-moderate PD. METHODS: Objective measures of sedentary time were obtained using an armband accelerometer. Cognition was assessed with the Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Rating Scale and a computerized task-switching paradigm. RESULTS: The percentage of awake time spent in sedentary activities was negatively correlated with attention (β = -14.20, t(12) = -2.47, p = 0.03) but not other cognitive domains (p > 0.05) after controlling for MVPA and medication dosage. CONCLUSION: Sedentary activity may have unique associations with cognition, particularly attention, over and above MVPA in individuals with PD.