title: A novel method for evaluating brain function and microstructural changes in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: In this study, microstructural brain damage in Parkinson's disease patients was examined using diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics. The analyses revealed the presence of neuronal damage in the substantia nigra and putamen in the Parkinson's disease patients. Moreover, disease symptoms worsened with increasing damage to the substantia nigra, confirming that the substantia nigra and basal ganglia are the main structures affected in Parkinson's disease. We also found that microstructural damage to the putamen, caudate nucleus and frontal lobe positively correlated with depression. Based on the tract-based spatial statistics, various white matter tracts appeared to have microstructural damage, and this correlated with cognitive disorder and depression. Taken together, our results suggest that diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics can be used to effectively study brain function and microstructural changes in patients with Parkinson's disease. Our novel findings should contribute to our understanding of the histopathological basis of cognitive dysfunction and depression in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Fang
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5044-0862
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: basal ganglia; cognitive dysfunction; depression; diffusion tensor imaging; functional magnetic resonance imaging; nerve regeneration; Parkinson's disease; neural regeneration; substantia nigra; tract-based spatial statistical analysis