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A resting-state fMRI study on early-stage drug-naïve Parkinson's disease patients with drooling
Yanbing Hou1, Chunyan Luo1, Jing Yang1
1Department of neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan University, China.
Objective:
Drooling is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study used resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to evaluate the brain connectivity of cortico-striatal circuits in PD patients with drooling.
Method:
We enrolled 30 early-stage drug-naïve PD patients and 30 matched normal controls. Among the PD patients, 15 patients were classified as "droolers" with the presence of drooling and 15 patients as "non-droolers" with the absence of drooling. All participants underwent resting-state fMRI scans on a 3-T MR system, focusing on the functional connectivity of striatum subregions.
Results:
Compared with PD patients without drooling, PD patients with drooling showed the significantly reduced functional connectivity of putamen within bilateral sensorimotor cortices, superior and inferior parietal lobules and areas in the right occipital and temporal lobes. No increased functional connectivity was found between the two PD subgroups. In addition, compared with healthy controls, both PD subgroups showed the functional connectivity alterations in cortico-striatal loops. The decreased functional connectivity was prominent in the most affected posterior putamen, and the increased functional connectivity was evident only in the relatively unaffected anterior striatum and caudate.
Conclusion:
By studying a cohort of early-stage drug-naïve PD patients, we eliminated the potential confounding effects of antiparkinson medication on the functional integration of neural networks. We demonstrated decreased connectivity within cortico-striatal networks in PD patients with drooling. These findings might be helpful for promoting the further understanding of neural system effects underlying drooling in PD. Our result is preliminary and further investigation is needed.
Insights
Parkinson's disease (PD) drooling is linked to reduced brain connectivity in cortico-striatal circuits, particularly the putamen. This study in early-stage, drug-naïve patients highlights network alterations underlying drooling symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Drooling is a frequent and often debilitating symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of drooling in PD is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
- Previous research has explored various aspects of PD, but the specific brain connectivity changes associated with drooling remain less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional connectivity of cortico-striatal circuits in early-stage, drug-naïve Parkinson's disease patients with and without drooling.
- To identify specific brain network alterations associated with the symptom of drooling in Parkinson's disease using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI).
Main Methods:
- Recruited 30 early-stage, drug-naïve Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 30 matched healthy controls.
- Classified PD patients into two groups: 15 with drooling ('droolers') and 15 without drooling ('non-droolers').
- Acquired resting-state fMRI data from all participants on a 3-T MR system, focusing on the functional connectivity of striatum subregions.
Main Results:
- Parkinson's disease patients with drooling exhibited significantly reduced functional connectivity between the putamen and sensorimotor cortices, parietal lobules, and occipital/temporal lobes compared to non-droolers.
- Both PD subgroups showed altered functional connectivity in cortico-striatal loops compared to healthy controls.
- Decreased connectivity was prominent in the posterior putamen, while increased connectivity was observed in the anterior striatum and caudate in PD patients.
Conclusions:
- This study in early-stage, drug-naïve PD patients minimizes medication confounding effects on neural network analysis.
- Findings demonstrate decreased functional connectivity within cortico-striatal networks in PD patients experiencing drooling.
- These results contribute to understanding the neural basis of drooling in Parkinson's disease and warrant further investigation.
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