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Impairment of retinal increment thresholds in Huntington's disease
Author(s) -
Paulus Walter,
Schwarz Guntram,
Werner Annette,
Lange Herwig,
Bayer Andreas,
Hofschuster M.,
Müller Norbert,
Zrenner Eberhart
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410340411
Subject(s) - chorea , huntington's disease , abnormality , medicine , ophthalmology , audiology , degenerative disease , psychology , neuroscience , disease , psychiatry
We have investigated detection thresholds for a foveal blue test light using a Maxwellian view system in 61 normal subjects, 19 patients with Huntington's chorea, 14 patients with Tourette's syndrome, and 20 patients with schizophrenia. Ten measurements were made: The blue test light (1 degree diameter, 500 msec duration) was presented either superimposed on a yellow adaptation field (5 degree diameter) or 500 msec after switching off this field (transient tritanopia effect). In both cases five different background intensities were presented. The only abnormality found was in patients with Huntington's chorea. During adaptation these patient's thresholds are significantly higher than normal ( p <0.005). No change was found in the transient tritanopia effect. Huntington's disease causes degeneration of several different transmitter systems in the brain. Increment threshold testing allows for noninvasive investigation of patients and confirms the involvement of the retina in the degenerative process in Huntington's chorea.