Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 2, 2026
09:33
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
29.1K
Changes of brain structural network connection in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive dysfunction: a
Wanyi Wang1, Mingjin Mei1, Yuyuan Gao1
1Department of Neurology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Neuroscience Institute, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
Journal of Neurology
|December 4, 2019
Summary
Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) shows altered white matter (WM) networks, particularly in the orbitofrontal region. These WM structural changes correlate with cognitive decline in PD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- White matter (WM) alterations are increasingly linked to cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Understanding these WM changes is crucial for diagnosing and treating PD-related cognitive dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter (WM) structural network connectome alterations in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI).
- To assess the relationship between cognitive impairment and structural topological network changes in PD patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 3.0 T MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on 31 healthy controls (HCs) and 71 PD patients (43 PD-NC, 28 PD-MCI).
- Applied graph theoretical and network-based statistical (NBS) analyses to identify WM network and subnetwork alterations in PD-MCI.
Main Results:
- PD-MCI patients exhibited decreased global efficiency and increased shortest path length compared to HCs.
- Orbitofrontal nodal efficiency correlated significantly with overall cognitive ability and sub-domains.
- NBS identified subnetworks with reduced connectivity in PD-MCI, predominantly in the orbitofrontal region.
Conclusions:
- PD with cognitive impairment is associated with distinct white matter structural alterations.
- Orbitofrontal network and subnetwork analyses offer insights into the physiological mechanisms of PD-MCI.
