Parkinson Hallucinations Could Be an Early Sign of the Disease
Have you ever had the impression that someone is watching you? This peculiar feeling may be an indicator of a loss in cognitive function in Parkinson’s disease. Research has shown that these symptoms are widespread in people who are suffering from Parkinson’s. Now, a new study sheds more light on the matter, revealing genuinely intriguing details.
The latest findings, which indicate that people with Parkinson’s disease routinely suffer hallucinations at a rate of one in two. They appear first in one-third of individuals, even before symptoms that are more generally recognized, such as shaking.
Parkinson’s Disease vs. Hallucinations
The cognitive deterioration of frontal executive function, which includes emotional regulation, impulse control, attention, and problem-solving, was shown to be faster over the course of five years in patients who had hallucinations early on in the evolution of the disease, according to the findings of a team of researchers.
Olaf Blanke, a physician, and neurologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, or EPFL), explains:
So far, we only have evidence linking cognitive decline and early hallucinations for Parkinson’s disease, but it could also be valid for other neurodegenerative diseases.
The cognitive deterioration of 75 Parkinson’s disease patients between the ages of 60 and 70 was evaluated using neuropsychological interviews, and their resting brain activity was measured via electroencephalography (EEG). Patients were also questioned on whether or not they had ever hallucinated the presence of other people.
The researchers also observed a pattern of increased frontal theta oscillatory activity in the brain. Still, this pattern was only present in patients who had hallucinations at the beginning of their Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. That’s a further sign that doctors and other medical professionals could take into consideration.
The research group strongly recommends that patients with Parkinson’s disease who have had present hallucinations discuss them with their primary care physicians. Unfortunately, such things are frequently ignored, written off, or assessed as harmless reactions to the treatment being received.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.
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