Pattern of Reduced Functional Connectivity and Structural Abnormalities in Parkinson's Disease: An Exploratory Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• MRI findings in Parkinson's disease (PD) are not fully understood.
• Previous studies have yielded controversial results regarding brain structural and functional alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively map structural and functional brain changes in Parkinson's disease.
• To investigate how these changes correlate with disease severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM), cortical thickness (CT) analysis, and resting-state fMRI on 66 PD patients.
• Classified patients into mild, moderate, and severe PD groups based on the Hoehn and Yahr scale.
• Compared PD patients with controls to identify significant brain alterations.

Main Results:

• Observed gray matter atrophy in the insula and inferior frontal gyrus (moderate PD), and extended to other regions in severe PD.
• Identified progressive cortical thinning from mild to severe PD stages, affecting various brain regions.
• Detected altered functional connectivity within default mode, visual, sensorimotor, and cerebellar networks.

Conclusions:

• Cortical involvement is present even in early stages of Parkinson's disease.
• Structural and functional changes appear in similar brain regions, potentially following Braak's hypothesis.
• Combined MRI techniques offer a promising approach for monitoring disease progression and could serve as surrogate markers.