Objective:

To determine a standardized and validated measure of time perception in Parkinson's disease (PD) populations that may also be generalizable to patients with other neurologic disease

Background:

Evidence suggests patients with PD experience altered time perception (chronognosia/chronothesia) as part of neuropsychiatric decline. No standardized measure exists for assessing time perception in this population. This study evaluated the Brief Estimate of Seconds Test (BEST) in PD patients versus healthy controls (HC) and examined neuroanatomical correlates of BEST performance.

Design/Methods:

The BEST was administered to 28 PD patients and 91 HCs. PD patients underwent MRI and additional neuropsychological exam. Analyses included: normative HC values; matched PD-HC comparison; and regression analyses examining relationships between BEST performance and (i) MRI-based atrophy in a priori regions of interest relevant to PD pathology and time perception, (ii) performance on standard cognitive measures of processing speed, executive function, and memory.

Results:

BEST performance correlated with atrophy in regions associated with both time perception and PD pathology (r=0.38-0.42 for putamen volume, p<0.05; r=-0.38-0.47 for posterior cingulate volume, p<0.05). BEST showed weak or no correlation with standard cognitive measures of processing speed, attention, executive function, and memory (r=-0.42 for Stroop interference p<0.05; otherwise p’s>0.05).

Conclusions:

BEST performance correlates with atrophy in brain regions associated with time perception and PD pathology, supporting its validity as a standardized measure for assessing time perception in neurologic populations. The lack of correlation with standard cognitive measures suggests chronognosia/chronothesia may represent a distinct neurocognitive construct not adequately captured by existing clinical assessments. Time perception evaluation is underutilized but could meaningfully inform differential diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and functional assessment in neuropsychiatric conditions.