FMRI studies of executive dysfunctions in early PD

We previously used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the Wisonsin card sorting task in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) to investigate prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum activity [1]. A decreased activation was observed in the PD compared to the control group in PFC regions that specifically co-activated with the striatum during task performance. By contrast, greater activation was found in PFC regions that were not co-activated with the striatum. Here an event-related fMRI study was used in PD patients and matched controls during the performance of a newly developed task that aims to study the function of the caudate nucleus. Preliminary results are in agreement with our previous findings.