Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson Disease and the Serotonin2A Receptor

The findings may shed light on potential therapeutic pathways.

Some patients with Parkinson disease (PD) develop well-formed visual hallucinations (VHs) with retained insight. Many researchers have thought that these VHs resulted from the suppression of inhibitory cortical inputs over the visual association cortex. However, several medications (e.g., quetiapine and clozapine) that are used to treat VH have serotonin antagonist properties (in addition to dopamine antagonism), which suggests the involvement of the serotonin₂ receptor. To learn more, investigators used PET scans after a single intravenous bolus of the selective serotonin_2A (5-HT_2A) receptor ligand setoperone in 14 patients with PD, half of whom had VH.

Compared to patients without VH, those with VH had been treated for longer periods (mean…

Reviewing Author

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson Disease and the Serotonin_2A Receptor

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Reviewing Author