Attention networks in patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of attention networks impairment in Parkinson's disease patients. Methods: Attention network test was performed in 28 PD patients and 28 normal controls on the efficiency of three anatomically defined attentional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. Results: The correct rate of attention network test was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in PD patients (98.4% ± 0.3%) than that in normal controls (99.2% ± 0.2%). The orienting network function was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in PD patients (65.7 ± 31.1 ms) than in normal controls (43.5 ± 32.3 ms). The alerting and executive networks effects was lower in PD patients than in normal controls, however without significant difference (P > 0.05). The relative analysis showed that the Hoehn Yahr stage was positively correlated with the value of executive netwok (r = 0.794, P < 0.001) and negatively with the value of alerting network (r = -0.379, P < 0.05). No relationship was found between the Hoehn Yahr stage and the value of orienting network. Conclusion: Orienting network impairment was found in PD patients. Both the alerting and executive networks abnormities were exacerbated along with the progression of the disease, which suggests that different neural anatomy and neuronal transmitter might relate with different attentional networks.