Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T04:03:25.286Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Complex visual hallucinations in a Parkinson patient: don't blame James if it's Charles's fault

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2012

Kurt Segers
Kurt Segers*
Affiliation:
Neurology Department, Brugmann University Hospital, Van Gehuchtenplein, Brussels, Belgium
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Kurt Segers, MD, Neurology Department, Brugmann University Hospital, Van Gehuchtenplein 4, 1020 Brussels, Belgium. Phone: +32-2477-2449; Fax: +32-2477-3439. Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A patient with a history of Parkinson's disease and severe bilateral peripheral vision loss due to vitreous hemorrhages had complex visual hallucinations that persisted for three days and appeared every morning on awakening. The persistent nature of these hallucinations, the patient's preserved insight, and the presence of severe visual impairment was suggestive for Charles Bonnet syndrome rather than Parkinson-related hallucinations. A treatment with carbamazepine was started and proved to be successful. Physicians treating Parkinson patients should be familiar with Charles Bonnet syndrome and consider it as a potential alternative etiology for visual hallucinations, especially when the patient has severely impaired vision and when the hallucinations are sustained during wakefulness.

Keywords

hallucinationsParkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease dementiaanticonvulsants
Type
Case Report
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , March 2013 , pp. 505 - 506
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alcántara, A. G., Valenciano, L., Díaz-Ortuño, A., Martinez-Navarro, M. L. and Barcia, D. (1998). Charles Bonnet syndrome and Parkinson's disease. European Psychiatry, 13, 372–374. doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(99)80705-6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bertram, K. and Williams, D. R. (2012). Visual hallucinations in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 83, 448–452. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2011-300980CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holroyd, S. and Sabeen, S. (2008). Successful treatment of hallucinations associated with sensory impairment using gabapentin. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 20, 364–366. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20.3.364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kester, E. M. (2009). Charles Bonnet syndrome: case presentation and literature review. Optometry, 80, 360–366. doi:10.1016/j.optm.2008.10.017.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manford, M. and Andermann, F. (1998). Complex visual hallucinations. Clinical and neurobiological insights. Brain, 121, 1819–1840. doi:10.1093/brain/121.10.1819.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schadlu, A. P., Schadlu, R. and Shepherd, J. B. 3rd. (2009). Charles Bonnet syndrome: a review. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, 20, 219–22. doi:10.1097/ICU.0b013e328329b643.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Segers, K. (2009). Charles Bonnet syndrome disappearing with carbamazepine and valproic acid but not with levetiracetam. Acta Neurologica Belgica, 109, 42–43.Google Scholar
Unni, K. E., Venugopal, M., Gupta, S., Rani, S. R. and Patro, D. K. (1996). Management of Charles Bonnet syndrome in the elderly. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 265–268.Google ScholarPubMed