PCA

Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Longitudinal study of Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) is a syndrome in which people experience difficulties seeing the world around them, due to degeneration not of the eyes but of areas at the back of the brain which process visual information. Other skills that rely on the back of the brain such as spelling and calculation can also be affected. Since 2005 the Dementia Research Centre has been carrying out a longitudinal study of PCA. This involves neurological assessments, MRI scans and neuropsychological testing (with an emphasis on visual processing) conducted on an annual basis. The objectives of this study are to improve characterisation and diagnosis of PCA, to understand how it relates to other neurodegenerative conditions, and to investigate behavioural interventions and strategies that could help to ameliorate some of the symptoms. As PCA is frequently caused by Alzheimer's disease, the study also aims to identify factors which lead Alzheimer's to affect different people's brains in such different ways.

More information about PCA can be found at the PCA Support Group website.