Posterior Cortical Atrophy: Characteristics From a Clinical Data Registry

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by higher-order visual dysfunction.
• PCA is typically linked to Alzheimer's disease pathology but often presents to non-cognitive specialists.
• Limited data exists on PCA presentation to specialists outside of cognitive neurology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical presentation of PCA in patients seen by neuro-ophthalmologists.
• To compare PCA presentation in neuro-ophthalmology practices with published data from cognitive specialists.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review data-entry survey was distributed to members of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Listserv (NANOSnet).
• Data from 38 PCA patients were collected via an online survey using REDCap.
• Patient data were compared to published cohorts and survey data from cognitive specialists.

Main Results:

• Data from 12 neuro-ophthalmologists on 38 patients revealed a mean age of 67.8 years, with 74% being female.
• Reading difficulty was reported by 91% of patients; visual field testing frequently showed homonymous defects.
• Common findings included poor performance in color vision and stereopsis.

Conclusions:

• Patients with PCA presenting to neuro-ophthalmologists tend to be older, female, and report reading difficulties more often than those seen by cognitive specialists.
• Neuro-ophthalmologists are crucial in diagnosing PCA, especially in older adults with unexplained visual symptoms.
• Future PCA research should incorporate multidisciplinary specialists to improve understanding and treatment development.