Seeing trees but not the forest: limited perception of large configurations in PD

Barrett AM, Crucian GP, Schwartz Rm Nallamshetty H, Heilman KM.  Neurology 2001; 56:724-729.

The authors discuss the attentional "floodlight" v. "spotlight" and note that some patients with neglect lack the floodlight as do patients with dopamine deficit. Subjects with PD and controls were shown large and small letters but PD subjects had trouble naming the large letters consistent with the theory of attentional floodlight abnormality in PD.  Patients who had undergone pallidotomy did markedly better on the floodlight task.  The latter raised the possibility that the problem was not dopaminergic per se, but thalamic activation of the frontal cortex, since pallidotomy reduces inhibition ofthe thalamus.

---

The Famous, the Infamous, the Lame - in your browser. Get the TMZ Toolbar Now!