SHORT REPORTS

Executive functions are impaired in patients with Parkinson’s disease with visual hallucinations

J Barnes¹ and L Boubert²

¹ Department of Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
² Department of Cognitive Science, University of Westminster, Harrow Campus, Northwick Park, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3TP, UK

Correspondence to:
Dr James Barnes, Department of Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK; jim.barnes{at}brookes.ac.uk

Objectives: Although cognitive impairment has been identified as a risk factor for visual hallucinations (VHs), more specific neuropsychological deficits underlying such phenomena have not been established. Here, we investigate the link between executive dysfunction and the occurrence of VHs.

Methods: We evaluated three groups—17 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) with VHs, 20 patients with PD without VHs and 20 age-matched controls—on a battery of tests previously reported to evaluate executive functions, namely tests of inhibitory ability, short-term memory and working memory.

Results: Differences were found on tests of inhibitory ability, for which the patient group with VHs showed impairment when compared with the non-hallucinating group.

Conclusions: Patients with PD with VHs have substantially greater impairment of inhibitory ability than patients without VHs. These findings support interactive models of the genesis of visual hallucinations in PD.

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Taylor, J-P, Rowan, E N, Lett, D, O'Brien, J T, McKeith, I G, Burn, D J (2008). Poor attentional function predicts cognitive decline in patients with non-demented Parkinson's disease independent of motor phenotype. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 79: 1318-1323 [Abstract] [Full Text]