Saccade Abnormalities in Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease

Abstract

Because the networks responsible for fast eye movements (saccades) are widely distributed and involve both cortical and subcortical structures, one might expect saccadic abnormalities in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Alzheimer disease (AD). Knowledge of saccade abnormalities that involve primarily either cortical or subcortical circuits might enable one to predict the underlying brain pathology in various neurodegenerative conditions. Evidence suggests that the superior colliculus plays a critical role …