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Gray matter differences contribute to variation in cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Gerrits N. J. H. M.,
Werf Y. D.,
Hofman M.,
Foncke E. M. J.,
Klein M.,
Berendse H. W.,
Heuvel O. A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/ene.12269
Subject(s) - parahippocampal gyrus , cognition , verbal fluency test , neuropsychology , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , medicine , brain size , audiology , temporal lobe , voxel based morphometry , verbal memory , middle frontal gyrus , superior frontal gyrus , neuroscience , putamen , frontal lobe , middle temporal gyrus , psychology , white matter , magnetic resonance imaging , epilepsy , radiology
Background and purpose A substantial proportion of patients with P arkinson's disease ( PD ) suffer from cognitive deficits, although there is a large variability in the severity of these impairments. Whilst the cognitive deficits are often attributed to monoaminergic changes, there is evidence that alterations in structural brain volume also play a role. The aim of our study was to gain more insight into the variability of cognitive performance amongst PD patients by examining the relation between regional gray matter ( GM ) volume and cognitive performance. Methods Linear regression analyses were performed between task performance and GM volume for six neuropsychological tasks within a group of 93 PD patients; they were additionally compared at a group level with matched healthy controls, using voxel‐based morphometry. Results Our most important findings were positive correlations between GM volume and cognitive performance for (i) parahippocampal gyrus and verbal memory, (ii) medial temporal lobe and putamen and visuospatial memory, and (iii) middle temporal gyrus and frontal lobe and verbal fluency. In addition, decreased GM volume was found in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices of PD patients compared with matched healthy controls. Conclusions It is argued that the large variability in cognitive function across PD patients is partly mediated by GM volume differences in the implicated areas. Volume differences in these brain regions do not discriminate between patients and controls but explain cognitive variation within the patient population.