VISUOSPATIAL ORIENTING OF ATTENTION IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE

Orienting attention to Visual stimuli was studied in 13 patients with Parkinson's disease whose responses were compared to those of a matche d control group using a cued reaction-time task which measured cost an d benefit effects of orienting of attention. Both groups were screened to exclude dementia, psychiatric disease, and other neurological abno rmalities. Although Parkinson patients showed overall slow mean reacti on time, responses showed a pattern of cost and benefit effects simila r to that of the control group. The results suggested that Parkinson p atients are not impaired on visuospatial orienting of attention on thi s task.