Functional brain networks and cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease

Abstract: Graph-theoretical analyses of functional networks obtained with resting-state functional mag-netic resonance imaging (fMRI) have recently proven to be a useful approach for the study of the sub-strates underlying cognitive deficits in different diseases. We used this technique to investigat...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Baggio, Hugo César, Sala Llonch, Roser, Segura i Fàbregas, Bàrbara, Martí Domènech, Ma. Josep, Valldeoriola Serra, Francesc, Compta, Yaroslau, Tolosa, Eduardo, Junqué i Plaja, Carme, 1955-
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2014
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/162423
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/162423
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Neuropsicologia
Malaltia de Parkinson
Xarxes neuronals (Neurobiologia)
Imatges per ressonància magnètica
Neuropsychology
Parkinson's disease
Neural networks (Neurobiology)
Magnetic resonance imaging
Description
Summary:Abstract: Graph-theoretical analyses of functional networks obtained with resting-state functional mag-netic resonance imaging (fMRI) have recently proven to be a useful approach for the study of the sub-strates underlying cognitive deficits in different diseases. We used this technique to investigate whethercognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) are associated with changes in global and local networkmeasures. Thirty-six healthy controls (HC) and 66 PD patients matched for age, sex, and education wereclassified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or not based on performance in the three mainlyaffected cognitive domains in PD: attention/executive, visuospatial/visuoperceptual (VS/VP), anddeclarative memory. Resting-state fMRI and graph theory analyses were used to evaluate network meas-ures. We have found that patients with MCI had connectivity reductions predominantly affecting long-range connections as well as increased local interconnectedness manifested as higher measures of cluster-ing, small-worldness, and modularity. The latter measures also tended to correlate negatively with cogni-tive performance in VS/VP and memory functions. Hub structure was also reorganized: normal hubsdisplayed reduced centrality and degree in MCI PD patients. Our study indicates that the topologicalproperties of brain networks are changed in PD patients with cognitive deficits. Our findings providenovel data regarding the functional substrate of cognitive impairment in PD, which may prove to havevalue as a prognostic marker.