Volume fraction of the cerebellum in Parkinson’s patients

Abstract

Most investigations on Parkinson’s disease (PD) focus on the basal ganglia and brainstem, whereas the cerebellum has often been overlooked. The cerebellum is critical for motor control and increasing evidence suggests that it may be associated with the pathophysiology of PD. The aim of this study was to describe cerebral and cerebellar volumes in patients with PD and to compare results with healthy subjects. In the present study, 18 patients with PD (8 female, 10 male) and 19 controls (9 females, 10 males) were included. Structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed in both groups with a 1.5 Tesla scanner. The images were analyzed using ImageJ software. Volumes were estimated via planimetry and threshold stereological methods. The mean total cerebral volumes were 943.19 ± 91.67 cm3 in control group and 909.83 ± 95.88 cm3 in patients. The mean total cerebellar volumes and the volume fractions were found 140.44 ± 21.68 cm3, 14.94 ± 2.17 % in control group and 140.52 ± 15.96 cm3, 15.52 ± 1.73% in patients, respectively. There were no significant differences found in terms of cerebral and cerebellar parameters. Our knowledge about cerebellum and PD interaction remains limited, although, the cerebellum is a potential target for some parkinsonian symptoms. Further investigations are needed to understand the role of cerebellum in PD using newly developing imaging techniques.