Exploring habenular structural connectivity in Parkinson's disease: insights from 7 T MRI study.

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Country of Publication: Germany NLM ID: 0423161 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1432-1459 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 03405354 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Neurol Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Berlin ; New York, Springer-Verlag

Habenula*/diagnostic imaging ; Habenula*/physiopathology ; Parkinson Disease*/diagnostic imaging ; Parkinson Disease*/physiopathology ; Parkinson Disease*/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Neural Pathways/diagnostic imaging ; Neural Pathways/physiopathology

Background: PD is marked by both motor and non-motor symptoms, with its pathophysiology involving many neural pathways and brain regions beyond the dopaminergic system. While mainly gray matter changes have been noted, white matter changes also exist in PD. Habenula, known for its role in reward processing, mood regulation, motor functions, and cognition, is of interest due to its connection to mood disorders in PD. This study aims to explore diffusion metrics and structural connectivity changes in the habenula of newly diagnosed PD patients using 7 T MRI.
Methods: 84 PDs and 38 HCs were recruited from Maastricht University Medical Centre. Clinical, demographic, and total Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores were recorded. A 7 T brain MRI was conducted. Diffusion metrics and structural connectivity were evaluated.
Results: The mean diffusion metrics of Hb were not significantly different between the groups. However, in PD patients, there was an increase in mean structural connectivity from the right Hb to the right hippocampus (p = 0.006) and the right fusiform gyrus (p = 0.007). On the left side, enhanced connectivity was observed with the left pallidum (p = 0.040) and left accumbens (p = 0.009). In the PD group, a significant correlation was found between the BDI total score and increased structural connectivity from the right Hb to the left cingulate isthmus (R ²  = 0.090, p = 0.003).
Conclusion: This pioneering study examines diffusion metrics and structural connectivity of Hb in PD patients using high-resolution 7 T MRI. Our findings highlight the habenula's potential role in PD pathophysiology, with altered connectivity suggesting early neurodegenerative or compensatory processes. These results underscore the importance of the habenula as a biomarker for PD and its potential as a therapeutic target.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence this study. Ethical approval and consent to participate: The TRACK-PD study was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and in accordance with the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act. The TRACK-PD study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Maastricht University Medical Centre (METC AZM/UM 18-027). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before inclusion.
(© 2024. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

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Keywords: DTI; Diffusion tensor imaging; Habenula; MRI; Parkinson; Structural connectivity

Date Created: 20241212 Date Completed: 20241212 Latest Revision: 20241212

20241212

10.1007/s00415-024-12773-8

39666152