Purpose: In addition to motor cortex involvement, sensory abnormalities have been demonstrated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including structural and metabolic alterations in the occipital cortex. The aim of this study was to examine occipital excitability changes in ALS. Methods: Twenty-one patients with ALS and 16 healthy subjects were enrolled into the study. Phosphene experience and phosphene threshold were studied to assess occipital excitability. Cognitive function was evaluated in both groups by means of Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised visuospatial score tests. Results: Phosphene was experienced in 13 (81.3%) healthy subjects and 9 (42.9%) patients with ALS (P ¼ 0.04). The mean phosphene threshold was not significantly different between the two groups. No correlation existed between phosphene threshold and motor cortical excitability parameters, ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised scores.Conclusions: Visual cortex is affected, and the occipital excitability is reduced in ALS, without any relation to motor cortical excitability changes, providing another clue suggestive of sensory involvement in ALS.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.