Does visuospatial motion perception correlate with coexisting movement disorders in Parkinson's disease?
Sinem Balta Beylergil1,2, Palak Gupta1,2, Mohamed ElKasaby3,4
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Journal of Neurology
|September 23, 2021
Summary
Parkinson's disease patients show impaired self-motion perception, particularly in the vestibular system, correlating with disease severity and tremor. Visual perception links to balance confidence, suggesting potential for visual rehabilitation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Movement Disorders
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Postural instability and balance impairment are hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD).
- PD affects multiple motor functions, including tone, bradykinesia, and gait, contributing to balance deficits.
- Emerging evidence suggests abnormal self-motion perception in the vestibular domain among PD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between measures of balance function, specifically self-motion perception, and specific movement disorders in Parkinson's disease.
- To compare vestibular and visual heading perception in PD patients and relate them to clinical assessments.
Main Methods:
- Assessed vestibular heading perception using a moving platform and visual heading perception via virtual reality optical flow.
- Quantified motion perception accuracy, threshold, and sensitivity using psychometric functions.
- Correlated perception measures with disease duration, severity (UPDRS-III), specific motor components, falls, and balance confidence (ABC Scale).
Main Results:
- Vestibular heading perception accuracy, threshold, and sensitivity significantly correlated with PD duration and severity, especially tremor.
- Leftward vestibular heading perception showed stronger correlations with disease parameters.
- Visual heading perception correlated with the Activities-Specific Balance Component (ABC) Scale, particularly optic-flow related items.
- Asymmetry in vestibular heading perception correlated with the axial component of UPDRS-III.
Conclusions:
- Vestibular and visual heading perception processes in PD appear to have distinct underlying mechanisms.
- The correlation of perception deficits with disease progression highlights the impact of PD on sensory integration.
- Visual function may be a viable target for balance rehabilitation strategies in Parkinson's disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Parkinson's Disease: Overview
854
Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is...
854
01:24Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
447
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of...
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of...
447
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
1.2K
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
1.2K
01:37Neural Regulation
40.6K
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.
40.6K