Visuospatial and Affective Abilities in Parkinson Disease

Assessment and Rehabilitation of Visuospatial and Affective Abilities in Parkinson Disease

The aim of the study is to investigate whether prismatic adaptation (PA) and virtual prismatic adaptation (VPA), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, that involves the use of lenses that deviate the visual field, can modulate alexithyima and performance in visuospatial tasks in patients with Parkinson disease. Furthermore, brain activity during the prismatic adaptation and post-adaptation phases will be recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG). Based on these premises, the present project aims to investigate the deficits of the affective, motor and visuospatial abilities in Parkinson's patients and the modulation of disorders through prismatic adaptation (PA) and virtual prism adaptation (VPA). Finally, we would like to evaluate production of the tear film and correlate their quantity with the severity of PD as it could be proposed as a new, non-invasive biomarker.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over 18 years old;
• Right-handed;
• Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease according to the UK Brain Bank criteria (Lyon and Pahwa, 2011);
• Hoehn and Yahr Stadium (Hoehn and Yahr, 1996) <2,5;
• Stable pharmacological treatment (dopaminergic therapy: dopamine agonists and Levo-dopa) in the last 6 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

• - Sensory-motor deficits that can hinder neuropsychological assessment;
• Visual system disorders (blindness, glaucoma);
• Atypical parkinsonisms;
• PD with dementia according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association).