Structural-functional connectivity decoupling in multiscale brain networks in Parkinson's disease.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging
• Network Science

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) involves neurodegeneration beyond the nigrostriatal pathway.
• Structural-functional (SC-FC) coupling alterations in PD at the network level are understudied.
• Subcortical regions' role in SC-FC coupling in PD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in structural-functional (SC-FC) coupling in Parkinson's disease (PD).
• To explore SC-FC coupling variations within and between functional brain networks.
• To understand the network-level mechanisms underlying PD.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for structural connectivity.
• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) for functional connectivity.
• Systematic construction and analysis of SC-FC coupling networks in 53 PD patients and 72 healthy controls (HCs).

Main Results:

• Global reduction in SC-FC coupling observed in PD patients compared to HCs.
• Regional SC-FC decoupling identified in the inferior parietal lobule, occipitotemporal cortex, motor cortex, and association cortex.
• Intranetwork decoupling in visual, limbic, and association networks; internetwork decoupling involving visual, somatomotor, attention, and default mode networks. Increased subcortical-somatomotor coupling found in PD.

Conclusions:

• PD is characterized by widespread SC-FC decoupling in brain network topology.
• Findings provide insights into the brain network mechanisms implicated in Parkinson's disease.
• Altered SC-FC coupling highlights network-level dysregulation in PD.