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Hallucinations in parkinson disease: Neuropsychological study

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Abstract

Hallucinations occur fairly frequently in the course of the pharmacological treatment of Parkinson disease. Our aim in this study was to assess first the relation between hallucinations and mental deterioration and second the correlation between the perception disorder and the profile on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Of 304 parkinsonian subjects followed as outpatients at our center 27 (8.88%) had had hallucinations and 17 of these presented marked cognitive deficits (Mini Mental State <18) (62.9%) compared with 32 of the other 277 patients (11.5%) (X2=55.16, p<0.0001). A group of 9 patients who had had hallucinations and 10 controls who had not, all free from marked cognitive deficits, were assessed on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) and on the MMPI. The two groups did not differ significantly in respect of the LNNB but did in respect of the MMPI scales. On this evidence the frequency of mental deterioration is significantly higher in patients who have hallucinated. We discuss the meaning of the MMPI differences both from the biochemical angle and from that of personality factors. These data suggest that the MMPI might be useful for predicting hallucinations in undeteriorated parkinsonian patients on pharmacological therapy.

Sommario

I fenomeni allucinatori rappresentano un evento piuttosto frequente nel corso del trattamento farmacologico del Morbo di Parkinson. Scopo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare i rapporti esistenti tra allucinazioni e deterioramento mentale e quindi le correlazioni fra tali fenomeni dispercettivi e le caratteristiche del profilo al test MMPI.

In una popolazione di 304 pazienti ambulatoriali affetti da Morbo di Parkinson, seguiti presso il nostro centro, fenomeni allucinatori si erano verificati in 27 soggetti (8,88%). Deficits cognitivi rilevanti (Mini Mental State <18) erano presenti nei 17 dei 27 pazienti con pregresse allucinazioni (62,9%) e nell' 11,5% dei pazienti del resto della popolazione (32 casi su 277) (X2=55.16, p<0.0001).

Un gruppo di 9 paz. con pregresse allucinazioni e di 10 paz. di controllo senza allucinazioni, tutti privi di deficits cognitivi rilevanti, sono inoltre stati valutati mediante una batteria di tests neuropsicologici (Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery) (LNNB) ed un test di personalità (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) (MMPI). A fronte di performances cognitive che non differivano significativamente fra i 2 gruppi, si sono registrate differenze significative nel profilo alle scale del MMPI.

Da questo studio emerge una prevalenza di deterioramento mentale significativamente più elevata nei pazienti con allucinazioni pregresse. Inoltre viene discusso il significato delle differenze al MMPI sia dal punto di vista biochimico che da quello dei fattori di personalità. Questi dati suggeriscono infine il possibile uso del MMPI nei paz. parkinsoniani non deteriorati, come mezzo predittivo di insorgenza di allucinazioni in corso di terapia farmacologica.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università ‘La Sapienza’, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Roma

    Meco G., Bonifati V., Cusimano G., Fabrizio E. & Vanacore N.

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  1. Meco G.
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  2. Bonifati V.
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  3. Cusimano G.
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  4. Fabrizio E.
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  5. Vanacore N.
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Meco, G., Bonifati, V., Cusimano, G. et al. Hallucinations in parkinson disease: Neuropsychological study. Ital J Neuro Sci 11, 373–379 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02335940

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