Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Symptoms

Early symptoms of posterior cortical atrophy generally appear after age 50 and include blurred vision, difficulties reading (particularly following the lines of text while reading), and problems with depth perception. As the disorder progresses, other symptoms evolve such as getting lost while driving or walking in familiar places, misrecognition of familiar faces and objects, and, rarely, visual hallucinations.

The term posterior cortical atrophy refers to atrophy or shrinkage of the back (posterior) part of the brain involved with vision.

Many patients undergo numerous examinations by optometrists and ophthalmologists, and change their glasses several times, before the correct diagnosis is made.