Cortical gyrification reductions and subcortical atrophy in Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by both motor and non‐motor symptoms. Previous morphometric studies of PD were mainly conducted by measuring gray matter volume and cortical thickness, and little attention has been paid to the morphology of the cortical surface. Methods Using a surface‐based local gyrification index (lGI), this study compared the cortical gyrification patterns of 37 PD patients and 34 matched healthy controls. Volumetric analyses also were performed on the subcortical structures. Results Compared with the control group, patients with PD had significantly reduced cortical gyrification in multiple brain regions, which the authors speculated were associated with disruptions in white matter connectivity and suboptimal intracortical organization. In addition, subcortical volume atrophy was identified in the bilateral hippocampus and bilateral caudate of the patients with PD. Conclusions Further studies are needed to identify the clinical correlates of the structural abnormalities observed in PD. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society