Presence hallucinations are those feelings that someone is close by, even though you’re actually all alone. Following on from research showing they’re common in people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests they might predict cognitive decline in the condition too.
One in two people with Parkinson’s are thought to regularly experience hallucinations, the researchers report. For a third of patients, they show up before more widely known symptoms, such as trembling.
Data was collected on 75 patients with Parkinson’s disease, aged between 60 and 70, using neuropsychological interviews to assess cognitive decline and electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the brain at rest. Patients were also asked about any experiences with presence hallucinations.
