Cerebral atrophy in Parkinson's disease patients with visual hallucinations

Authors: Ramírez-Ruiz, B.; Martí, M.-J.; Tolosa, E.; Giménez, M.; Bargalló, N.; Valldeoriola, F.; Junqué, C.

Source: European Journal of Neurology, Volume 14, Number 7, July 2007 , pp. 750-756(7)

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Abstract:

Although visual hallucinations (VH) are relatively frequent in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, their neural substrates are only known from neuropathological and functional magnetic resonance studies. The aim of this study was to investigate possible structural brain changes on MRI in non-demented PD patients with VH using voxel-based morphometry. Eighteen PD patients with VH were compared to 20 patients with PD without VH and 21 healthy controls. Compared with both controls and the non-hallucinating PD group, PD patients with VH had grey matter volume reductions in the lingual gyrus and superior parietal lobe. Structural changes in these areas involved in higher visual processing may be important in understanding the VH and visual deficits in PD patients.

Keywords: lingual gyrus; Parkinson's disease; superior parietal lobe; voxel-based morphometry; visual hallucinations

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2007.01768.x

Affiliations: 1: Radiology Department, Centre de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (CDI), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Publication date: 2007-07-01