Networks Are Associated With Depression in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Resting-State Imaging Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Network disturbances are linked to depression in Parkinson's disease (PD).
• The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of depression in PD are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in intra-network and inter-network brain connectivity in PD patients with (PDD) versus without (PDND) depression.
• To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for depression in PD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in 41 PDD patients, 64 PDND patients, and 55 healthy controls.
• Independent component analysis (ICA) extracted five large-scale brain networks: default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), salience network (SN), precuneus network (PCUN), and sensorimotor network (SMN).
• Functional connectivity (FC) was measured within and between these extracted networks.

Main Results:

• PDD patients showed abnormal FC within the DMN, ECN, SN, PCUN, and SMN.
• Decreased connectivity was observed between the anterior SN and ECN, posterior SN and DMN, and PCUN and DMN/SMN/ECN in PDD patients.
• Connectivity in the left hippocampus (DMN) and right medial superior frontal gyrus (aSN) predicted depression severity in PD.

Conclusions:

• Aberrant intra- and inter-network functional connectivity in key brain hubs is implicated in Parkinson's disease depression.
• These connectivity patterns may serve as biomarkers to differentiate PDD from PDND.