2026 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Mario Cornejo-Olivas¹, Maryenela Illanes-Manrique², Ana Saldarriaga-Mayo¹, Alid Manrique-Palomino¹, Milagros Galecio-Castillo², Hans Palma-Cruzzat², Elison Sarapura-Castro², Angel Medina-Colque³, Julia Rios-Pinto⁴, Ivan Cornejo-Herrera⁵, Edward Ochoa-Valle⁶, Koni Mejia⁷, Aldo Vences-Balta⁸, Jose Villafane-Alva⁹, Larry Benavides-Vasquez¹⁰, Nicolas Gutierrez¹¹, Valerie Rico¹¹, Pedro Mena¹², Miguel Inca-Martinez¹¹, Margaret Pericak-Vance¹², Ignacio Mata¹¹
¹Neurogenetics Working Group, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, ²Neurogenetics Research Center, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas, ³Direccion Regional de Salud de Puno, ⁴Universidad Peruana Los Andes, ⁵Hospital Hipolito Unanue deTacna, ⁶Hospital Regional de Cusco, ⁷Daniel Alcides Carrion Hospital, ⁸Centro Medico Regional Piura, ⁹Hospital Regional Virgen de Fátima, ¹⁰Hospital II-2, ¹¹Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, ¹²University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, John P Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami

Objective:

To describe demographic, clinical, and cognitive characteristics of the Latino cohort of GENIAL-PD.

Background:

Cognitive impairment is a frequent non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which can emerge at almost any disease stage and significantly impact quality of life. The underlying mechanisms are influenced by both environmental exposures (e.g., education level) and genetic background. The study “Genetics and Neurocognition in Latinos with and without Parkinson's Disease (GENIAL-PD)” is a multicenter initiative designed to determine genetic factors influencing cognitive decline in PD patients across Latin America. It aims to investigate genotype-phenotype correlations between cognitive performance and PD by integrating genetic, neuropsychological, and clinical data.

Design/Methods:

We included both PD cases and unrelated cognitively unimpaired controls (UC) recruited across multiple centers since May 2025. All participants provided informed consent and underwent demographic and clinical data collection, neurological examination, and standardized neuropsychological testing, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Verbal Fluency Test, Craft 21 Story Recall, and Stick Design tests. Blood samples were also collected.

Results:

By September 2025, 194 participants had completed cognitive assessments and blood sampling, comprising 83 PD cases and 111 UC controls. Among PD cases, 48.2% were female, with a mean age at examination of 68.9±10.7 years, a mean age at onset of 62.5±11.8 years, an average of 11.2±4.9 years of education, and a mean MoCA score of 20.0±7.5. Among UC controls, 77.5% were female, with a mean age at examination of 61.2±7.8 years, years of education 12.1±4.2, and a mean MoCA score 27.1±1.8.

Conclusions:

These findings from the Latino GENIAL-PD cohort confirm the cognitive burden associated with PD, despite comparable demographic backgrounds with healthy controls. Results underscore the importance of systematic evaluation of cognitive decline in Latino populations and the need for genetic and environmental research to inform early detection and targeted interventions aimed at improving quality of life.