Olfactory functional covariance connectivity in Parkinson's disease: Evidence from a Chinese population

Shouyun Du; Yiqing Wang; Guodong Li; Hongyu Wei; Hongjie Yan; Xiaojing Li; Yijie Wu; Jianbing Zhu; Yi Wang; Zenglin Cai; Nizhuan Wang

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.1071520

Olfactory functional covariance connectivity in Parkinson's disease: Evidence from a Chinese population

Front Aging Neurosci. 2023 Jan 4:14:1071520. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1071520. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Shouyun Du¹, Yiqing Wang^{2

3}, Guodong Li¹, Hongyu Wei², Hongjie Yan⁴, Xiaojing Li², Yijie Wu², Jianbing Zhu⁵, Yi Wang⁵, Zenglin Cai^{2

3}, Nizhuan Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Guanyun County People's Hospital, Lianyungang, China.
² Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Suzhou, China.
³ Department of Neurology, Suzhou Science & Technology Town Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, China.
⁵ Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Suzhou, China.
⁶ School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Central anosmia is a potential marker of the prodrome and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that olfactory dysfunction is related to abnormal changes in central olfactory-related structures in patients with early PD.

Methods: This study, which was conducted at Guanyun People's Hospital, analyzed the resting-state functional magnetic resonance data using the functional covariance connection strength method to decode the functional connectivity between the white-gray matter in a Chinese population comprising 14 patients with PD and 13 controls.

Results: The following correlations were observed in patients with PD: specific gray matter areas related to smell (i.e., the brainstem, right cerebellum, right temporal fusiform cortex, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right Insula, left frontal pole and right superior parietal lobule) had abnormal connections with white matter fiber bundles (i.e., the left posterior thalamic radiation, bilateral posterior corona radiata, bilateral superior corona radiata and right superior longitudinal fasciculus); the connection between the brainstem [region of interest (ROI) 1] and right cerebellum (ROI2) showed a strong correlation. Right posterior corona radiation (ROI11) showed a strong correlation with part 2 of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (ROI14) showed a strong correlation with parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Hoehn and Yahr Scale.

Discussion: The characteristics of olfactory-related brain networks can be potentially used as neuroimaging biomarkers for characterizing PD states. In the future, dynamic testing of olfactory function may help improve the accuracy and specificity of olfactory dysfunction in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; functional covariance connectivity; gray matter; olfactory function; resting-state fMRI; white matter.