Saccadic latency in Parkinson's disease correlates with executive function and brain atrophy, but not motor severity.

ABSTRACT: Brain regions related to saccadic control are affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology and a relationship between abnormal saccades and cognitive features of PD has been suggested. We measured the latency of visually-evoked saccades, and correlated best-fit parameters in a LATER neuronal decision model μ and σ (mean and SD of the distribution of reciprocal latency, i.e. speed of response), and σ(E) (SD of the early component) with motor function, cognition and grey matter volume in 18 patients with PD and 17 controls. There was a negative correlation between verbal fluency and σ; no correlation was found between motor function and any of the latency parameters. Higher μ (shorter latency) positively correlated with grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, the cerebellar vermis, an

SUBMITTER: Perneczky R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3102178 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature