Alterations in cortical volume and complexity in Parkinson's disease with depression

AimsThe aim of this study is to investigate differences in gray matter volume and cortical complexity between Parkinson's disease with depression (PDD) patients and Parkinson's disease without depression (PDND) patients.MethodsA total of 41 PDND patients, 36 PDD patients, and 38 healthy controls (HC) were recruited and analyzed by Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Differences in gray matter volume and cortical complexity were compared using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlated with the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17) scores.ResultsPDD patients exhibited significant cortical atrophy in various regions, including bilateral medial parietal-occipital-temporal lobes, right dorsolateral temporal lobes, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral hippocampus, compared to HC and PDND groups. A negative correlation between the GMV of left precuneus and HAMD-17 scores in the PDD group tended to be significant (r = -0.318, p = 0.059). Decreased gyrification index was observed in the bilateral insular and dorsolateral temporal cortex. However, there were no significant differences found in fractal dimension and sulcal depth.ConclusionOur research shows extensive cortical structural changes in the insular cortex, parietal-occipital-temporal lobes, and hippocampal regions in PDD. This provides a morphological perspective for understanding the pathophysiological mechanism underlying depression in Parkinson's disease. The first row of pictures shows extensive cortical volume loss in Parkinson's disease with depression patients, primarily concentrated in the parietal-occipital-temporal lobes, parahippocampal gyrus, and hippocampus. The second row of pictures shows decreased gyrification index in the insula.image