Visual Hallucinations in Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Overview

Journal Br J Psychiatry

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2011 Oct 22

PMID 22016436

Citations 20

Authors

John-Paul Taylor

Michael Firbank

Nicola Barnett

Sarah Pearce

Anthea Livingstone

Urs Mosimann

Janet Eyre

Ian G McKeith

John T OBrien

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The aetiology of visual hallucinations is poorly understood in dementia with Lewy bodies. Pathological alterations in visual cortical excitability may be one contributory mechanism.

Aims: To determine visual cortical excitability in people with dementia with Lewy bodies compared with aged-matched controls and also the relationship between visual cortical excitability and visual hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Method: Visual cortical excitability was determined by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the occiput to elicit phosphenes (transient subjective visual responses) in 21 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and 19 age-matched controls.

Results: Phosphene parameters were similar between both groups. However, in the patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, TMS measures of visual cortical excitability correlated strongly with the severity of visual hallucinations (P = 0.005). Six patients with dementia with Lewy bodies experienced visual hallucination-like phosphenes (for example, seeing people or figures on stimulation) compared with none of the controls (P = 0.02).

Conclusions: Increased visual cortical excitability in dementia with Lewy bodies does not appear to explain visual hallucinations but it may be a marker for their severity.

Citing Articles

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Visual dysfunction in dementia with Lewy bodies.

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Knowledge domain and emerging trends in visual hallucination research: A scientometric analysis.

Zhong M, Wu Z, Jiang X, Shen B, Zhu J, Zhang L World J Psychiatry. 2021; 11(8):491-506.

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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool in Various Types of Dementia.

Antczak J, Rusin G, Slowik A J Clin Med. 2021; 10(13).

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