Alain Destee | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

Retinal involvement in dementia with Lewy bodies: a clue to hallucinations?

Visual hallucinations are a core feature of dementia with Lewy bodies. Their pathophysiology is not well understood, because neither clinical nor histological data have shown their basic mechanisms. Here, we report the presence of pale inclusions in the outer plexiform layer of the retina in a patient with dementia with Lewy bodies. These inclusions are related to cytoskeletal disorganization of the cones at ultrastructural level and modifications of the immunohistochemical pattern of distribution of synucleins in the retina. These modifications may participate in the visual impairment in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Brain↗

PubMed2003

Executive function differences in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease.

The aim of the present study was to assess executive function in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) looking for specific differences and considering motor disability and disease duration. Performance of 11 MSA patients was compared to that of 12 healthy controls and two groups of 12 PD patients, one matched with respect to the severity of motor symptoms and the other with respect to disease duration. Compared to healthy controls, MSA and PD patients both presented executive dysfunction but, in MSA, the impairment was more severe and diffuse. This study suggests that despite the evidence of some differences in executive function in MSA and PD, the contribution of standard neuropsychological examination to the differential diagnosis of both syndromes remains still limited.

Adult↗