Mild cognitive impairment, including difficulty with solving problems, planning, attention,
or recalling information, can be a significant problem for individuals with Parkinson's
disease. Even mild cognitive difficulties can lead to worse functioning, quality of life,
depression, and difficulty for caregivers. Thus, ideally treatment at this stage would
improve both cognitive symptoms and some of the other problems associated with these
symptoms.
Despite the fact that mild cognitive impairment is a serious problem for Parkinson's disease
patients little is known about how best to treat it. This study is a 24-week clinical trial
to see if a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug, the Exelon (rivastigmine)
Patch, is useful in treating mild cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Currently, the Exelon (rivastigmine) Patch is FDA-approved for the treatment of mild to
moderate dementia in Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease patients.