Abstract
Introduction: Individuals suffering from Parkinson's Disease (PD) frequently complain their inability to perform visual tasks like using maps and navigating around everyday environments , which negatively impacts their life quality. Aim of the study: Assessment of visual pathway using visual evoked potential (VEP) and correlate its parameters with the clinical data of the patients.
Subjects and Methods: Thirty PD patients and thirty gender and age -matched normal individuals were included for comparison. A full history taking, a comprehensive neurological and general examination, and an evaluation of the disease severity utilizing the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRT) were performed on each patient. PD patients and control group were subjected to assessment of the evoked potential changes using VEP. Results: lower mean amplitude and higher mean latency of P100 of VEP among patients with PD . No statistically significant difference in P 100 (amplitude and latency) in different genders, in different sides of onset, in different clinical phenotypes, and in the age of PD patients. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between P100 latency and the duration of disease as well as disease severity assessed by total UPDRS. On the other hand, no statistically significant correlation between P100 amplitude and duration or severity of disease was found.Conclusions: In patients with PD visual pathway is impaired. this impairment is more with disease severity and with increase disease duration. visual evoked potential assessment (P100 Latency) can be used as a marker for PD severity and progression.