Firbank MJ, Collerton D, Morgan KD, Schumacher J, Donaghy PC, O'Brien JT, Thomas A, Taylor J. Functional connectivity in Lewy body disease with visual hallucinations.
Eur J Neurol 2024;
31:e16115. [PMID:
37909801 PMCID:
PMC11235993 DOI:
10.1111/ene.16115]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Visual hallucinations are a common, potentially distressing experience of people with Lewy body disease (LBD). The underlying brain changes giving rise to visual hallucinations are not fully understood, although previous models have posited that alterations in the connectivity between brain regions involved in attention and visual processing are critical.
METHODS
Data from 41 people with LBD and visual hallucinations, 48 with LBD without visual hallucinations and 60 similarly aged healthy comparator participants were used. Connections were investigated between regions in the visual cortex and ventral attention, dorsal attention and default mode networks.
RESULTS
Participants with visual hallucinations had worse cognition and motor function than those without visual hallucinations. In those with visual hallucinations, reduced functional connectivity within the ventral attention network and from the visual to default mode network was found. Connectivity strength between the visual and default mode network correlated with the number of correct responses on a pareidolia task, and connectivity within the ventral attention network with visuospatial performance.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results add to evidence of dysfunctional connectivity in the visual and attentional networks in those with LBD and visual hallucinations.
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