Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes

Behavioral neurologists have long been interested in changes in religiosity following circumscribed brain lesions. Advances in neuroimaging and cognitive experimental techniques have been added to these classical lesion-correlational approaches in attempt to understand changes in religiosity due to...

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Main Authors: Paul M. Butler, Patrick McNamara, Raymon Durso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0282
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author Paul M. Butler
Patrick McNamara
Raymon Durso
author_facet Paul M. Butler
Patrick McNamara
Raymon Durso
author_sort Paul M. Butler
collection DOAJ
description Behavioral neurologists have long been interested in changes in religiosity following circumscribed brain lesions. Advances in neuroimaging and cognitive experimental techniques have been added to these classical lesion-correlational approaches in attempt to understand changes in religiosity due to brain damage. In this paper we assess processing dynamics of religious cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We administered a four-condition story-based priming procedure, and then covertly probed for changes in religious belief. Story-based priming emphasized mortality salience, religious ritual, and beauty in nature (Aesthetic). In neurologically intact controls, religious belief-scores significantly increased following the Aesthetic prime condition. When comparing effects of right (RO) versus left onset (LO) in PD patients, a double-dissociation in religious belief-scores emerged based on prime condition. RO patients exhibited a significant increase in belief following the Aesthetic prime condition and LO patients significantly increased belief in the religious ritual prime condition. Results covaried with executive function measures. This suggests lateral cerebral specialization for ritual-based (left frontal) versus aesthetic-based (right frontal) religious cognition. Patient-centered individualized treatment plans should take religiosity into consideration as a complex disease-associated phenomenon connected to other clinical variables and health outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-2774944f4e0342aeba1fddcc96aa4c802025-08-20T02:04:48ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842011-01-0124213314110.3233/BEN-2011-0282Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral PhenotypesPaul M. Butler0Patrick McNamara1Raymon Durso2Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USADepartment of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USADepartment of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USABehavioral neurologists have long been interested in changes in religiosity following circumscribed brain lesions. Advances in neuroimaging and cognitive experimental techniques have been added to these classical lesion-correlational approaches in attempt to understand changes in religiosity due to brain damage. In this paper we assess processing dynamics of religious cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We administered a four-condition story-based priming procedure, and then covertly probed for changes in religious belief. Story-based priming emphasized mortality salience, religious ritual, and beauty in nature (Aesthetic). In neurologically intact controls, religious belief-scores significantly increased following the Aesthetic prime condition. When comparing effects of right (RO) versus left onset (LO) in PD patients, a double-dissociation in religious belief-scores emerged based on prime condition. RO patients exhibited a significant increase in belief following the Aesthetic prime condition and LO patients significantly increased belief in the religious ritual prime condition. Results covaried with executive function measures. This suggests lateral cerebral specialization for ritual-based (left frontal) versus aesthetic-based (right frontal) religious cognition. Patient-centered individualized treatment plans should take religiosity into consideration as a complex disease-associated phenomenon connected to other clinical variables and health outcomes.http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0282
spellingShingle Paul M. Butler
Patrick McNamara
Raymon Durso
Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
Behavioural Neurology
title Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
title_full Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
title_fullStr Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
title_full_unstemmed Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
title_short Side of Onset in Parkinson’s Disease and Alterations in Religiosity: Novel Behavioral Phenotypes
title_sort side of onset in parkinson s disease and alterations in religiosity novel behavioral phenotypes
url http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0282
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