Clarifying the risk of developing dementia in Parkinson's disease using the functional network analysis in the brain with resting-state fMRI

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17030
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: KAWABATA Kazuya 名古屋大学, 医学部附属病院, 医員 (60837409)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: パーキンソン病 / 認知症 / 脳機能 / fMRI / ネットワーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to clarify functional brain networks related to the risk of developing dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). First, we found that visuoperceptual disturbances in PD were associated with dysfunctions in the visual networks and ventral visual feedback pathways. We also investigated that the relationship between cerebellar network changes and cognitive performance in PD. The severity of parkinsonism was related to the functional connections between the posterior cerebellum and subthalamic nucleus. On the other hand, cognitive performance was associated with the connectivity between the posterior cerebellum and caudate.

Free Research Field

神経内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究はパーキンソン病における認知症の克服という目標に向けて、パーキンソン病の認知症発症リスクに関してこれまで明らかにされていなかった脳内の神経ネットワークという観点から、その病態を明らかにした。これらの発見は将来、診断や治療のマーカーとなる可能性がある。また小脳は将来新規リハビリテーションのターゲットとしての可能性も秘めており、その基礎を築く上で重要な発見である。