Background: In Parkinsonism, visual hallucinations (VH) and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have been thought to indicate underlying synucleinopathy.
Objectives: We tested the validity of this hypothesis by searching for VH and RBD symptoms in Parkinsonism related to tauopathies.
Methods: Patients with progressive supranuclear palsy or corticobasal degeneration were identified via a clinical data bank.
Results: Of 53 patients who expressed study interest by telephone, 44 returned questionnaires. VH occurred in 16% of patients. Similarly, acting out of dreams occurred in 16% of patients. Neither VH nor RBD symptoms were linked to disease duration or dopaminergic medication and there was no mutual association.
Conclusion: VH and RBD symptoms also occur in Parkinsonism related to tauopathies, thus refuting the initial hypothesis.