title: Dissociation between the detection and perception of motion in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: To better understand the damage to the motion pathway that occurs in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT), we developed a system to assess separately the conscious perception and unconscious detection of motion in patients with SDAT. Motion perception thresholds were significantly elevated in SDAT (n = 9) compared with controls (n = 12), but motion detection thresholds were normal. This dissociation between the perception and detection of motion in early SDAT parallels histologic evidence of a disconnection between primary and association visual cortices. This disconnection may underlie the severe visual perception deficits seen in SDAT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Feldon
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017120:Nystagmus, Optokinetic; D012684:Sensory Thresholds