Changes in anatomical and functional connectivity of Parkinson's disease patients according to cognitive status

Abstract

Purpose: This study assesses the patterns of structural and functional connectivity damage in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) compared with cognitively unimpaired Parkinson's disease patients (PD-Cu) and healthy controls (HC).

Materials and methods: Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) scans were obtained from 30 PD and 21 sex- and age-matched HC. The between-group difference in posterior cingulate (PCC) functional connectivity (FC) was performed to assess FC dysfunction. Atlas-based spatial statistics of DTI was applied to compare White matter (WM) fibers impairment between groups.

Results: (1) Functional connectivity: (1) PD-Cu compared with HC showed a decreased PCC functional connectivity of the right medial temporal lobe (MTL). In addition, PCC-right MTL connectivity strength of PD was significantly correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score. (2) PDD group shows a decreased FC of PCC-right parahippocampa compared with PD-Cu group; while show a widespread decreased PCC FC compared with HC group. (2) Anatomical connectivity: (1) Relative to PD-Cu, significant lower FA values were found in the left hippocampus in PDD. (2) PDD showed higher MD values in a widespread WM regions compared with PD-Cu and HC. (3) Positive correlation was observed between MoCA score and FA value of left inferior longitudinal and hippocampus, and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus in PD.

Conclusions: Cognitive decline in PD is associated with FC damage of PCC-right MTL and microstructural damage of left hippocampus. Nevertheless, combining fMRI and DTI method may provide markers able to contribute to the prediction of PDD.

Keywords: Anatomical connectivity; Dementia; Diffusion tensor MRI; Functional connectivity; Parkinson's disease; Resting state fMRI.