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Visual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
Weil RS, Schrag AE, Warren JD, Crutch SJ, Lees AJ, Morris HR.. Brain : a journal of neurology, 2016-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Patients with Parkinson's disease have a number of specific visual disturbances. These include changes in colour vision and contrast sensitivity and difficulties with complex visual tasks such as mental rotation and emotion recognition. We review changes in visual function at each stage of visual processing from retinal deficits, including contrast sensitivity and colour vision deficits to higher cortical processing impairments such as object and motion processing and neglect. We consider changes in visual function in patients with common Parkinson's disease-associated genetic mutations including GBA and LRRK2 . We discuss the association between visual deficits and clinical features of Parkinson's disease such as rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder and the postural instability and gait disorder phenotype. We review the link between abnormal visual function and visual hallucinations, considering current models for mechanisms of visual hallucinations. Finally, we discuss the role of visuo-perceptual testing as a biomarker of disease and predictor of dementia in Parkinson's disease.
Key findings
- We review changes in visual function at each stage of visual processing from retinal deficits, including contrast sensitivity and colour vision deficits to higher cortical processing impairments such as object and motion processing and neglect.
- We consider changes in visual function in patients with common Parkinson's disease-associated genetic mutations including GBA and LRRK2 .
- We discuss the association between visual deficits and clinical features of Parkinson's disease such as rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder and the postural instability and gait disorder phenotype.
- We review the link between abnormal visual function and visual hallucinations, considering current models for mechanisms of visual hallucinations.
- Finally, we discuss the role of visuo-perceptual testing as a biomarker of disease and predictor of dementia in Parkinson's disease.
Why it matters
This review describes various visual problems in Parkinson's disease and discusses visual testing as a possible biomarker and predictor of dementia in Parkinson's disease. It does not address treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain : a journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 475 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 39.6 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 148 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Huw R. Morris: h-index 83 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27412389) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Weil, R. S., Schrag, A. E., Warren, J. D., Crutch, S. J., Lees, A. J., & Morris, H. R. (2016). Visual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aww175
Vancouver
Weil RS, Schrag AE, Warren JD, Crutch SJ, Lees AJ, Morris HR. Visual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. 2016. doi:10.1093/brain/aww175. PMID: 27412389.
BibTeX
@article{weil2016-27412389,
author = {Weil, R. S. and Schrag, A. E. and Warren, J. D. and Crutch, S. J. and Lees, A. J. and Morris, H. R.},
title = {{Visual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease}},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1093/brain/aww175},
pmid = {27412389},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aww175}
}
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