Evaluation of Attentional Performance in Parkinson Disease

Background:

Parkinson Disease (PD) is a nervous system disorder that affects movement. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain. As PD progresses, there is less and less dopamine in the brain. Researchers think there may be a relationship between differences in attention and dopamine in people with PD.

Objective:

To learn if people with PD that is worse on one side also have differences in how much attention they pay to the two sides of space on their left and right.

Eligibility:

English-speaking, right-handed people age 35-80 with PD.

Design:

Participants will be screened with medical and neurological history and exam, and medicine review.

Participants will have 1 study visit. It will last 7-8 hours. They will stop taking their Parkinson medicine 12 hours before the visit.

Participants will complete questionnaires.

Participants will do tasks on a computer screen. They will judge the middle of lines, react to stimuli, and search and identify items that appear on the screen.

Participants may have functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the brain. During the MRI, participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of the MRI scanner. While inside the scanner, they will look at a cross on a screen, relax, and think about nothing.

Participants will undergo prism adaptation. They will sit in front of a board while their chin rests on a support. They will point to 1 of 2 dots on the board while they wear prism glasses that shift their vision to the left or right....