Neuroanatomical substrate of visuospatial and visuoperceptual impairment in Parkinson's disease.
To determine magnetic resonance imaging patterns of gray matter (GM) atrophy underlying visuospatial and visuoperceptual impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD), we applied voxel-based morphometry to 36 nondemented PD patients and correlated their whole brain GM density with performance on three visuospatial and visuoperceptual tests. In addition, group comparisons between patients and 20 healthy controls were also performed. Correlations between visuospatial performance and GM density were found in the superior parietal lobules and the superior occipital gyrus of PD patients. Poor performance on visuoperceptual tests was also found to be significantly associated with GM decreases in the fusiform, the parahippocampus, and the middle occipital gyrus. Finally, group comparisons between controls and patients showed widespread GM cortical reductions in PD, involving posterior temporal and parietal regions. Taken together, these findings suggest that visuospatial and visuoperceptual dysfunctions reflect structural GM changes in temporo-parietal cortical regions of PD patients.
Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Joana B
JB
Pereira
Carme
C
Junqué
María-Jośe
MJ
Martí
Blanca
B
Ramirez-Ruiz
Nuria
N
Bargalló
Eduardo
E
Tolosa
D000368:Aged; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology