Characteristics of Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson Disease Dementia and Dementia With Lewy Bodies
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Objective Parkinson disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) have overlapping clinical and pathologic features. Recurrent visual hallucinations (RVH) are common in both disorders. The authors have compared details of hallucination characteristics and associated neuropsychiatric features in DLB and PDD.Methods This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study using the Institute of Psychiatry Visual Hallucinations Interview (IP-VHI) to explore self-reported frequency, duration, and phenomenology of RVH in PDD and DLB. The caregivers' ratings of hallucinations and other neuropsychiatric features were elicited with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI).Results Fifty-six patients (35 PDD; 21 DLB) with RVH were assessed. Hallucination characteristics were similar in both disorders. Simple hallucinations were rare. Most patients experienced complex hallucinations daily, normally lasting minutes. They commonly saw people or animals and the experiences were usually perceived as unpleasant. NPI anxiety scores were higher in PDD. Neuropsychiatric symptoms coexisting with hallucinations were apathy, sleep disturbance, and anxiety.Conclusions Patients with mild to moderate dementia can provide detailed information about their hallucinations. Characteristics of RVH were similar in PDD and DLB, and phenomenology suggests the involvement of dorsal and ventral visual pathways in their generation. The coexistence of RVH with anxiety, apathy, and sleep disturbance is likely to impair patients' quality of life and may have treatment implications.
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Human and animal stimuli are often the content of VH in these patients.
“human and animal stimuli are often the content of VH in these patients32,50”
From Deviations in effective connectivity explain different hallucination subtypes in Parkinson's disease psychosis (2026) · cites this paper as [50]
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“Inter-estingly, human and animal stimuli are often the content of VH in these patients 32,50 .”
- Authors
- Mosimann, U. P., Rowan, E. N., Partington, C. E., Collerton, D., Littlewood, E., O'Brien, J. T., Burn, D. J., & McKeith, I. G.
- Affiliations
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital (GB)
- Bensham Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Mosimann, Urs P.
- ORCID
- Venue
- The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-02
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 153-160
- ISSN
- 1064-7481 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2101150488
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 7.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council (G0400074)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- visual hallucinations, Parkinson's disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, phenomenology of hallucinations, complex visual hallucinations, neuropsychiatric symptoms, anxiety, apathy, sleep disorders, quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Anxiety, Female, Hallucinations, Humans, Male, Parkinson Disease, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep Wake Disorders, Lewy Body Disease
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