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Resting-state functional connectivity associated with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

Marianna Amboni1, Alessandro Tessitore, Fabrizio Esposito

  • 1Neurodegenerative Diseases Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via Allende, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy.

Journal of Neurology
|November 28, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) is linked to altered brain connectivity. Decreased default mode network connectivity is seen in all PD patients, while frontoparietal network changes specifically mark PD-MCI.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Cognitive impairment is prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), even early on.
  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in PD (PD-MCI) is defined as cognitive impairment without functional decline.
  • Understanding brain connectivity in PD-MCI is crucial for early detection and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate brain connectivity differences in PD patients with and without MCI using resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI).
  • To explore the relationship between functional connectivity and structural abnormalities in PD-MCI.
  • To identify specific network alterations associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Main Methods:

  • Collected RS-fMRI data from 42 PD patients (21 PD-MCI, 21 PD-nMCI) and 20 healthy controls.
  • Utilized Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to analyze brain network integrity.
  • Employed Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) to assess structural gray matter differences.

Main Results:

  • Both PD-nMCI and PD-MCI groups showed decreased default mode network (DMN) connectivity compared to controls.
  • PD-MCI patients exhibited reduced functional connectivity in the frontoparietal network (FPN), specifically in the prefrontal cortex, compared to controls.
  • These FPN connectivity changes correlated with cognitive parameters but not clinical PD variables.
  • VBM analysis found no significant differences in local gray matter volume between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Altered DMN connectivity is a characteristic of PD, irrespective of cognitive status.
  • Functional disconnection within the frontoparietal network may be specifically associated with MCI in PD.
  • These functional changes occur without detectable structural gray matter abnormalities in PD-MCI.

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