Functional Brain Dysconnectivity in Parkinson's Disease: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Tracking longitudinal functional brain dysconnectivity is crucial for understanding Parkinson's disease (PD) pathophysiology and progression.
• Previous research has not fully explored the dynamic changes in brain networks over time in PD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal changes in functional brain networks in PD patients over a 5-year period.
• To correlate these network changes with cognitive performance and motor symptom lateralization.
• To assess the utility of resting-state high-density electroencephalography (RS HD-EEG) as a biomarker for PD progression.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year longitudinal study involving 35 PD patients and 32 healthy controls (HC).
• Resting-state (RS) high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG) recordings at baseline, 3-year follow-up (3YFU), and 5-year follow-up (5YFU).
• Assessment of frequency-dependent functional networks and their association with motor and cognitive symptoms.

Main Results:

• PD patients exhibited progressive connectivity impairment in alpha2 and beta frequency bands over 5 years, unlike HC.
• Deterioration in global cognitive assessment strongly correlated with disrupted brain networks.
• Disconnected networks were associated with motor symptom lateralization, showing hemisphere-specific patterns in PD patients.

Conclusions:

• Brain network dysconnectivity in PD progresses with the disease, mirroring cognitive decline and motor symptom lateralization.
• RS HD-EEG shows potential as an early biomarker for tracking both motor and non-motor progression in Parkinson's disease.