# Parkinson’s disease dementia

Source: https://onco.cc/diagnoses/parkinsons-disease-dementia/  
OnCo record `parkinsons-disease-dementia` (Diagnosis). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Parkinson’s disease dementia is dementia that appears in the setting of established Parkinson’s disease. Rivastigmine has an FDA indication for this use and is a symptom treatment, not disease-modifying.

## Summary

When dementia develops after established Parkinson’s disease, clinicians may diagnose Parkinson’s disease dementia. Overlap with dementia with Lewy bodies is biological. Rivastigmine is labeled in the US for mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease. Movement, sleep, hallucinations, and blood-pressure changes still shape the care plan.

## Fields

- Kind: Diagnosis
- Last checked: 2026-09-21
- Tags: dementia-atlas
- Group: dementia

## Standard of care

- Cognitive symptoms: Rivastigmine may be considered. Coordinate with the movement-disorder plan and avoid harmful antipsychotics where possible. ([Rivastigmine](https://onco.cc/drugs/da-rivastigmine/))

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_disease_dementia
- NICE NG97: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97

## Connected records

- diagnoses: [Dementia (umbrella)](https://onco.cc/diagnoses/dementia/), [Dementia with Lewy bodies](https://onco.cc/diagnoses/dementia-with-lewy-bodies/)
- targets: [Acetylcholinesterase](https://onco.cc/targets/da-target-ache/), [Alpha-synuclein](https://onco.cc/targets/da-target-alpha-synuclein/)
- drugs: [Rivastigmine](https://onco.cc/drugs/da-rivastigmine/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/parkinsons-disease-dementia.json