Functional connectivity in Lewy body disease with visual hallucinations.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology

Background:

• Visual hallucinations are a common symptom in Lewy body disease (LBD).
• The neural underpinnings of these hallucinations are not fully understood.
• Previous models suggest altered connectivity in attention and visual processing networks is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brain connectivity differences in individuals with LBD and visual hallucinations.
• To explore the relationship between connectivity and cognitive/motor function.

Main Methods:

• Examined functional connectivity in 41 individuals with LBD and visual hallucinations, 48 with LBD without hallucinations, and 60 healthy controls.
• Investigated connections between visual cortex and attention/default mode networks.

Main Results:

• Individuals with visual hallucinations showed worse cognition and motor function.
• Reduced functional connectivity was found within the ventral attention network and from visual to default mode networks in those with hallucinations.
• Connectivity strength correlated with performance on cognitive tasks.

Conclusions:

• Findings support evidence of dysfunctional connectivity in visual and attentional networks in LBD with visual hallucinations.
• Highlights the role of network alterations in LBD-associated visual hallucinations.