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Visual Hallucinations in Neurodegenerative Disorders

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Neuropsychiatric Disorders

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Abstract

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as hallucinations, are common in ­neurodegenerative disorders and primarily in Parkinson’s disease, where they ­contribute significantly to disease morbidity and caregiver burden, ­eventually ­leading to early nursing home placement. As the average life expectancy in ­developed nations continues on an upward trend, the incidence of ­neurodegenerative disease and their neuropsychiatric complications follows in parallel. This review provides an ­overview of synucleinopathies, tauopathies, prion diseases, and ­heredodegenerative disorders in which visual hallucinations (VH) are ­present. Epidemiological ­information along with factors associated with symptom ­presentation is outlined. The clinical characteristics of visual disturbances and their impact on disease ­management are discussed. Relevant treatment options for VH in each ­neurodegenerative syndrome are also reviewed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1536 9th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Spyridon Papapetropoulos & Blake K. Scanlon

  2. Biogen Idec, 14 Cambridge Center, Bio 6A, 6th Floor, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA

    Spyridon Papapetropoulos

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Blake K. Scanlon

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  1. Spyridon Papapetropoulos
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Correspondence to Spyridon Papapetropoulos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Jinmeikai Research Institute for Mental Health, 53-20 Kabutoyama-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 662-0001, Japan

    Koho Miyoshi M.D., Ph.D. (Director, The former Professor) & Yasushi Morimura M.D., Ph.D. (Chief Executive Officer) (Director, The former Professor) &  (Chief Executive Officer)

  2. Ohmura Hospital, 200 Kitayama-Ohmura, Miki, Hyogo, 673-0404, Japan

    Koho Miyoshi M.D., Ph.D. (Director, The former Professor) (Director, The former Professor)

  3. Department of Occupational Therapy, Kobe Gakuin University School of Rehabilitation, 518 Ikawadani-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2180, Japan

    Kiyoshi Maeda M.D., Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

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Papapetropoulos, S., Scanlon, B.K. (2010). Visual Hallucinations in Neurodegenerative Disorders. In: Miyoshi, K., Morimura, Y., Maeda, K. (eds) Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53871-4_4

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