Visual system changes that may signal Parkinson’s disease

Changes in the visual systems of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients may provide important biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of the disease, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition caused by neuronal loss in several brain structures. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by tremors, rigidity or stiffness throughout the body, and impaired balance and coordination. However, non-motor symptoms across all stages of the disease are common, although they tend to be undiagnosed and under-treated since patients are not aware of the link.

Non-motor symptoms experienced by patients with Parkinson’s disease include visual alterations such as an inability to perceive colors, a change in visual acuity, and a decrease in blinking which can lead to dry eye and can precede the appearance of motor symptoms by more than a decade, according to the researchers.

The study compared 20 newly diagnosed and not yet treated patients with Parkinson’s disease and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The researchers found significant abnormalities within the visual system brain structures of Parkinson’s disease patients, including alterations of optic radiations, a reduction of white matter concentration and a reduction of optic chiasm volume. The optic chiasm is the part of the brain where the left and right optic nerves intersect.

Researchers hope that the in-depth study of visual symptoms may provide more sensitive markers of Parkinson’s disease and help differentiate Parkinsonism disorders, follow disease progression and monitor patient response to treatments.

Paper: “Visual system changes that may signal parkinson’s disease”
Reprinted from materials provided by Radiological Society of North America.