Atrophy and decreased activation of fronto-parietal attention areas contribute to higher visual dysfunction in posterior cortical atrophy

Feldmann, Adam; Trauninger, Anita; Toth, Lilla; Kotek, Gyula; Kosztolanyi, Peter; Illes, Eniko; Pfund, Zoltan; Komoly, Samuel; Nagy, Ferenc; Illes, Zsolt

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.01.006

« PreviousPsychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 164, Issue 2 , Pages 178-184, 30 November 2008

Atrophy and decreased activation of fronto-parietal attention areas contribute to higher visual dysfunction in posterior cortical atrophy

Adam Feldmann
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Anita Trauninger
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Lilla Toth
- Institute of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology of the University of Kaposvar, 40 Sandor Guba St, Kaposvar, 7400 Hungary
Gyula Kotek
- Institute of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology of the University of Kaposvar, 40 Sandor Guba St, Kaposvar, 7400 Hungary
- Current address: Diagnostic Centre of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary.
Peter Kosztolanyi
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Eniko Illes
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Zoltan Pfund
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Samuel Komoly
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Ferenc Nagy
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
Zsolt Illes
- Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, 2 Ret St, Pecs, 7623 Hungary
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +36 72 535 900; fax: +36 72 535 911.

Received 24 May 2007; received in revised form 5 December 2007; accepted 13 January 2008.

Abstract

Voxel-based morphometry and functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated severe atrophy and decreased activation of visual attention areas and occipital lobes in a patient with early posterior cortical atrophy compared with healthy controls and patients with early Alzheimer's disease. Our complex approach indicates that structures responsible for attention can be damaged early in posterior cortical atrophy and may contribute to the characteristic decline in higher visual functions.

Keywords: Atrophy, Functional magnetic resonance (fMRI), Voxel-based morphometry, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease