title: Morphologic changes in the mesolimbic pathway in Parkinson's disease motor subtypes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder associated with gray matter atrophy. Cortical atrophy patterns may further help distinguish between PD motor subtypes. Comparable differences in subcortical volumes have not been found.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one cognitively intact and treated PD patients, including 12 tremor dominant (TD) subtype, Nine postural instability gait dominant (PIGD) subtype, and 20 matched healthy control subjects underwent 3.0 T high-resolution structural MRI scanning. Subcortical volumetric analysis was performed using FreeSurfer and shape analysis was performed with FIRST to assess for differences between PD patients and controls and between PD subtypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in subcortical volumes were found between motor PD subtypes, but comparing grouped PD patients with controls revealed a significant increase in hippocampal volume in PD patients (p = 0.03). A significant shape difference was detected in the right nucleus accumbens (NAcc) between PD and controls and between motor subtypes. Shape differences were driven by positive deviations in the TD subtype. Correlation analysis revealed a trend between hippocampal volume and decreasing MDS-UPDRS (p = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While no significant differences in subcortical volumes between PD motor subtypes were found, increased hippocampal volumes were observed in PD patients compared to controls. Right NAcc shape differences in PD patients were driven by changes in the TD subtype. These unexpected findings may be related to the effects of chronic dopaminergic replacement on the mesolimbic pathway. Further studies are needed to replicate and determine the clinical significance of such morphologic changes.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Eric M
authors: EM
authors: Nyberg
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Jody
authors: J
authors: Tanabe
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Justin M
authors: JM
authors: Honce
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Theodore
authors: T
authors: Krmpotich
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Shelton
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States.
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Hedeman
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States. Electronic address: brian.berman@ucdenver.edu.
authors: Brian D
authors: BD
authors: Berman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014202:Tremor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Dopamine; Hippocampus; Nucleus accumbens; Parkinson's disease; Shape analysis; Volumetric analysis