Abstract
BackgroundThe presence and extent of structural changes in the brain as a consequence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is still poorly understood.MethodsHigh-resolution 3-tesla T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images in sixty-five PD and 27 age-matched healthy control participants were examined. Putamen, caudate, and intracranial volumes were manually traced in the axial plane of 3D reconstructed images. Striatal nuclei volumes were normalized to intracranial volume for statistical comparison. Disease status was assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale and Hoehn and Yahr scale. Cognitive status was assessed using global status tests and detailed neuropsychological testing.ResultsBoth caudate and putamen volumes were smaller in PD brains compared to controls after adjusting for age and gender. Caudate volumes were reduced by 11% (p = 0.001) and putamen volumes by 8.1% (p = 0.025). PD striatal volumes were not found to be significantly correlated with cognitive or motor decline.ConclusionSmall, but significant reductions in the volume of both the caudate and putamen occur in PD brains. These reductions are independent of the effects of age and gender, however the relation of these reductions to the functional loss of dopamine, which is characteristic of PD, remains unclear.
Highlights
The presence and extent of structural changes in the brain as a consequence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is still poorly understood
The striatum is the major input structure of the basal ganglia complex and is an essential part of neural networks involved in motor and nonmotor function [1]
Striatal function is severely impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), which depletes the neuromodulatory influence of ventral midbrain dopamineproducing neurons on these circuits and disrupts the balance of multiple corticostriatal circuits
Summary
The presence and extent of structural changes in the brain as a consequence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is still poorly understood. The striatum (caudate and putamen) is the major input structure of the basal ganglia complex and is an essential part of neural networks involved in motor and nonmotor function [1]. Striatal function is severely impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), which depletes the neuromodulatory influence of ventral midbrain dopamineproducing neurons on these circuits and disrupts the balance of multiple corticostriatal circuits. It is, unclear whether PD produces gross morphological (volumetric) changes in the striatum. PD manifests progressively worsening motor and non-motor (cognitive and behavioral) dysfunction, which may in part reflect anatomical changes at the level of the putamen (motor) and caudate
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