Open AccessA novel method for evaluating brain function and microstructural changes in Parkinson′s disease
Author(s) -
Mingfang Jiang,
Shi Feng,
Niu Guang-ming,
Shuduo Xie,
Shengyuan Yu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.172322
Subject(s) - substantia nigra , putamen , diffusion mri , caudate nucleus , white matter , parkinson's disease , neuroscience , basal ganglia , medicine , frontal lobe , disease , pathology , psychology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , central nervous system
In this study, microstructural brain damage in Parkinson's disease patients was examined using diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics. The analyses revealed the presence of neuronal damage in the substantia nigra and putamen in the Parkinson's disease patients. Moreover, disease symptoms worsened with increasing damage to the substantia nigra, confirming that the substantia nigra and basal ganglia are the main structures affected in Parkinson's disease. We also found that microstructural damage to the putamen, caudate nucleus and frontal lobe positively correlated with depression. Based on the tract-based spatial statistics, various white matter tracts appeared to have microstructural damage, and this correlated with cognitive disorder and depression. Taken together, our results suggest that diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics can be used to effectively study brain function and microstructural changes in patients with Parkinson's disease. Our novel findings should contribute to our understanding of the histopathological basis of cognitive dysfunction and depression in Parkinson's disease.