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Orienting of visual attention in progressive supranuclear palsy
R D Rafal1, M I Posner, J H Friedman
1Division of Neurology, Roger Williams General Hospital, Providence, RI 02908.
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) showed impaired visual attention, specifically slower responses in the vertical plane compared to the horizontal. This suggests midbrain pathways are crucial for attention orienting.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
Background:
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting multiple brain areas.
- Visual attention relies on complex neural pathways, including those in the midbrain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ability of patients with PSP to orient visual attention compared to healthy controls.
- To determine if directional biases exist in attention orienting in PSP patients.
Main Methods:
- Reaction time (RT) measurements were used to assess visual attention orienting.
- Participants (8 PSP patients, 8 controls) responded to visual targets preceded by directional cues.
- Attention orienting was quantified by RT facilitation at the cued location.
Main Results:
- Parkinsonian controls exhibited equal attention facilitation in horizontal and vertical directions.
- PSP patients demonstrated slower attention orienting in the vertical plane compared to the horizontal plane.
- This deficit was observed regardless of cue type (peripheral luminance or central arrow).
Conclusions:
- Midbrain retinotectal pathways play a significant role in orienting visual attention.
- PSP patients exhibit directional deficits in visual attention, particularly along the vertical axis.
- These findings highlight the involvement of midbrain pathways in attentional processes beyond eye movements.