New Study Shows Presence Hallucinations in Parkinson’s Patients Predict Cognitive Decline
Presence hallucinations, the feeling that someone is close by despite being alone, may predict cognitive decline in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. Previous research highlighted the common occurrence of these hallucinations in Parkinson’s patients, with the new study suggesting they could serve as an early indicator of cognitive decline.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers, revealed that one in two people with Parkinson’s regularly experience hallucinations. Surprisingly, these hallucinations often appear before more recognizable symptoms of the disease, such as trembling.
To gather data, 75 Parkinson’s patients between the ages of 60 and 70 were interviewed using neuropsychological evaluations to assess cognitive decline. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) was utilized to measure brain activity at rest, and patients were asked about any experiences with presence hallucinations.
The findings unveiled a rapid decline in frontal executive function, which includes attention, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and impulse control, among patients who experienced hallucinations early in the progression of the disease.
“We now know that early hallucinations are to be taken seriously in Parkinson’s disease,” states physician and neurologist Olaf Blanke from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, or EPFL).
The researchers also observed increased frontal theta (4 to 8Hz) oscillatory activity in the brains of individuals who experienced hallucinations at the onset of Parkinson’s. This additional marker could assist healthcare professionals in identifying cognitive decline in the future.
Blanke and his colleagues are urging individuals with Parkinson’s who experience presence hallucinations to inform their doctors about their experiences. These hallucinations often go unreported, are dismissed, or are mistaken for side effects of treatment.
“Detecting the earliest signs of dementia means early management of the disease, allowing us to develop improved and personalized therapies that try to modify the course of the disease and improve cognitive function,” explains Blanke.
Hallucinations are characterized as false perceptions resulting from abnormalities in brain function, making their prevalence in individuals with brain diseases like Parkinson’s unsurprising.
The researchers’ next focus is to explore convenient and reliable methods of utilizing this early warning system. This may involve identifying brain activity patterns that correlate with hallucinations, potentially enabling detection even before they manifest.
“While we currently have evidence connecting cognitive decline and early hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease, this finding could also be applicable to other neurodegenerative diseases,” suggests Blanke.
The study was published in Nature Mental Health.