Basal ganglia circuits changes in Parkinson's disease patients

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 524; no. 1; pp. 55 - 59
• Main Authors: Wu, Tao, Wang, Jue, Wang, Chaodong, Hallett, Mark, Zang, Yufeng, Wu, Xiaoli, Chan, Piu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 22.08.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Basal ganglia; Basal Ganglia - physiopathology; Basal ganglia circuits; Brain; Cerebellum; Cognitive ability; Cortex (prefrontal); Dopamine; Dopaminergic deficits; Female; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Globus pallidus; Granger causality analysis; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Movement disorders; Neostriatum; Nerve Net - physiopathology; Neural networks; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Pons; Substantia nigra; subthalamic nucleus; supplementary motor area; Temporal lobe; Thalamus; Granger causality analysis; Dopaminergic deficits; Parkinson's disease; Basal ganglia circuits; Substantia nigra
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.07.012

► We studied the causal connectivity of basal ganglia networks in Parkinson's disease. ► The dopaminergic system exerts influences on widespread brain networks. ► The pattern of basal ganglia network connectivity is abnormal in Parkinson's disease. ► fMRI appears to be a useful method to demonstrate basal ganglia pathways. Functional changes in basal ganglia circuitry are responsible for the major clinical features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Current models of basal ganglia circuitry can only partially explain the cardinal symptoms in PD. We used functional MRI to investigate the causal connectivity of basal ganglia networks from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in PD in the movement and resting state. In controls, SNc activity predicted increased activity in the supplementary motor area, the default mode network, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but, in patients, activity predicted decreases in the same structures. The SNc had decreased connectivity with the striatum, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, thalamus, supplementary motor area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, default mode network, temporal lobe, cerebellum, and pons in patients compared to controls. Levodopa administration partially normalized the pattern of connectivity. Our findings show how the dopaminergic system exerts influences on widespread brain networks, including motor and cognitive networks. The pattern of basal ganglia network connectivity is abnormal in PD secondary to dopamine depletion, and is more deviant in more severe disease. Use of functional MRI with network analysis appears to be a useful method to demonstrate basal ganglia pathways in vivo in human subjects.