Visual Hallucinations Associated With Parkinson Disease

Abstract

While reduction in levodopa and anticholinergic medication doses is appropriate in the management of hallucinations, the factors that predispose patients to hallucinations include dementia and advancing age. The phenomena of visual hallucinations associated with PD, while not fully explained, are unique enough to be of interest to all neurologists and neuroscientists.

Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms in a Community-Based Parkinson Disease Sample

“…Interestingly, the PSY group had a younger age of PD symptom onset and PD diagnosis, and was significantly younger on average than NoP at the time of the study. This is in contrast to prior studies that found psychotic symptoms to be correlated with older age [10] or longer PD duration but not necessarily an earlier age of PD onset [7,8,11,17]. While any comments on disease course are speculative given the cross-sectional nature of this study, the results raise the possibility that younger age of PD onset may be a risk factor for a psychotic course in PD.…”

Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms in a Community-Based Parkinson Disease Sample

“…Interestingly, the PSY group had a younger age of PD symptom onset and PD diagnosis, and was significantly younger on average than NoP at the time of the study. This is in contrast to prior studies that found psychotic symptoms to be correlated with older age [10] or longer PD duration but not necessarily an earlier age of PD onset [7,8,11,17]. While any comments on disease course are speculative given the cross-sectional nature of this study, the results raise the possibility that younger age of PD onset may be a risk factor for a psychotic course in PD.…”

Epidemiology of Parkinsonism

“……”

Schizotypy in Parkinson’s disease predicts dopamine-associated psychosis

“…In particular, there was no relationship between psychosis and cognitive impairment. These results are in line with previous studies that identified severe cognitive impairment as a risk factor for hallucinations in advanced 6,11,[15][16][17] , but not in early PD 10 . We confirm these results in this cohort of patients, who exhibited symptoms corresponding to relatively early stages of PD (median H&Y stage 2).…”

Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms in a Community-Based Parkinson Disease Sample

“…Interestingly, the PSY group had a younger age of PD symptom onset and PD diagnosis, and was significantly younger on average than NoP at the time of the study. This is in contrast to prior studies that found psychotic symptoms to be correlated with older age [10] or longer PD duration but not necessarily an earlier age of PD onset [7,8,11,17]. While any comments on disease course are speculative given the cross-sectional nature of this study, the results raise the possibility that younger age of PD onset may be a risk factor for a psychotic course in PD.…”

Epidemiology of Parkinsonism

“……”

Schizotypy in Parkinson’s disease predicts dopamine-associated psychosis

“…In particular, there was no relationship between psychosis and cognitive impairment. These results are in line with previous studies that identified severe cognitive impairment as a risk factor for hallucinations in advanced 6,11,[15][16][17] , but not in early PD 10 . We confirm these results in this cohort of patients, who exhibited symptoms corresponding to relatively early stages of PD (median H&Y stage 2).…”

Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms in a Community-Based Parkinson Disease Sample

“…Interestingly, the PSY group had a younger age of PD symptom onset and PD diagnosis, and was significantly younger on average than NoP at the time of the study. This is in contrast to prior studies that found psychotic symptoms to be correlated with older age [10] or longer PD duration but not necessarily an earlier age of PD onset [7,8,11,17]. While any comments on disease course are speculative given the cross-sectional nature of this study, the results raise the possibility that younger age of PD onset may be a risk factor for a psychotic course in PD.…”

Epidemiology of Parkinsonism

“……”

Schizotypy in Parkinson’s disease predicts dopamine-associated psychosis

“…In particular, there was no relationship between psychosis and cognitive impairment. These results are in line with previous studies that identified severe cognitive impairment as a risk factor for hallucinations in advanced 6,11,[15][16][17] , but not in early PD 10 . We confirm these results in this cohort of patients, who exhibited symptoms corresponding to relatively early stages of PD (median H&Y stage 2).…”