Precision Neuroimaging of Parkinson's Disease
Washington University School of Medicine
Summary
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by dysfunction in both subcortical structures and the cortex. The investigators recently discovered a new brain system called the Somato-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN), which could be a primary locus of dysfunction in PD. Here, the investigators will use magnetic resonance imaging techniques in PD patients to test whether SCAN is critical for PD. The investigators will determine whether SCAN is connected to PD-relevant subcortical structures, and whether PD patients exhibit altered subcortical-to-SCAN connectivity. If successful, this work will identify SCAN as a specific circuit altered in PD patients that can serve as a new target for future neuromodulatory PD therapies.
Description
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, and freezing of gait, as well as sleep disturbance, autonomic dysfunction, and abulia. PD patients particularly struggle to initiate and maintain actions, which causes gait freezing, leading to falls. PD results from dysfunction in motor circuitry, including connections between subcortical structures such as substantia nigra and striatum, as well as primary motor cortex, which drives voluntary movement. Recently, our group rewrote the textbook diagrams of motor circuitry. The investigato…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 40+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Must meet specific health and cognitive criteria depending on the group. For PD participants * Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease * Must not meet dementia criteria For Healthy Control Participants * Normal or benign neurological exam * Normal cognition * No first-degree relatives with Parkinson's Disease Exclusion Criteria: 1. Neurological Disorders (other than PD) \- Any other neurological condition 2. Significant Head Injury * Head injury with loss of consciousness \>5 minutes * Or any neurological sequelae 3. Psychiatric Disorders * Schizophren…
Location
- East Imaging BuildingSt Louis, Missouri