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Identification of Disease-related Spatial Covariance Patterns using Neuroimaging Data
Published on: June 26, 2013
Abnormal regional brain function in Parkinson's disease: truth or fiction?
Yilong Ma1, Chengke Tang, James R Moeller
1Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
Neuroimage
|November 11, 2008
Summary
Global brain activity normalization in Parkinson's disease (PD) studies may create false positives. However, subcortical increases in PD are real, not artifacts, and can serve as imaging biomarkers for disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Metabolic Activity Analysis
- Parkinson's Disease Research
Background:
- Functional imaging studies commonly normalize regional measurements by the global mean to reduce variability.
- This normalization assumes global values are similar between patient and control groups.
- This assumption is challenged in Parkinson's disease (PD) research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the validity of global normalization in Parkinson's disease (PD) functional imaging.
- To determine if increased subcortical activity in PD is a true finding or an artifact of normalization.
- To assess the utility of normalized metabolic indices as biomarkers for PD progression.
Main Methods:
- Computer simulations were used to model the effects of global normalization on subcortical regions in PD.
- Analysis of functional imaging data from early-stage PD patients and age-matched controls.
- Longitudinal imaging studies and multivariate analysis (SSM/PCA) were employed.
Main Results:
- Early-stage PD patients showed global metabolic values similar to controls.
- Normalized metabolic activity was increased in specific subcortical regions in PD patients.
- These subcortical increases appeared earlier and progressed faster than global reductions and correlated with clinical disease measures.
Conclusions:
- Increased subcortical activity in PD is not an artifact of global normalization.
- Normalized metabolic indices, especially at the network level, are stable and suitable as imaging biomarkers for PD progression and treatment response.
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