Gaucher disease may protect against Parkinson's disease-related color visual impairment

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients have a five-fold greater risk of carrying genetic mutations in the ?-glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA), which are commonly associated with Gaucher disease (GD). Patients with both PD and GD tend to experience earlier onset of PD and more serious cognitive changes than PD patients without the mutations. A new study suggests that GD or the presence of GBA mutations may actually shield patients from deficiency in visual color discrimination, which is a hallmark of PD.
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - Category: Science Source Type: news