Slowly progressive impairment of spatial exploration and visual perception

Abstract

We describe three cases of progressive visuo-spatial impairment. When tested, all patients exhibited Balint-Holmes' syndrome. Functions of other cognitive domains, including memory, were initially preserved. CT, MRI and PET scans revealed mild cortical atrophy, in one case more pronounced in the posterior part of both parietal lobes. The patients were followed up for several years and the progressive cognitive impairment extended to other cognitive functions (language, memory and executive functions), becoming indistinguishable from the typical profile of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the selective impairment of visuo-spatial functions at onset, and the extensive period for which these disorders remained isolated, leave their diagnostic characterization open to debate.