Functional Connectivity and Anxiety Improvement After Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Background Anxiety is one of the most common and disturbing non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, few studies have explored the relationship between functional connectivity (FC) and the rate of anxiety improvement after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the correlation between FC and the rate of anxiety improvement in patients with PD who underwent STN-DBS. Methods The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of 62 patients with anxious PD (aPD), 68 patients with PD without anxiety (naPD), and 64 healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed according to FC. Intergroup comparison and correlation analyses of anxiety improvement rates were performed. Results The HC, aPD and naPD groups of zFCs were then used for the ANOVA test, and the results were FDR-corrected. There were 24 significant differences in FCs between the three groups. Post tests were conducted between groups found that 15 significantly different FCs were observed between the naPD and aPD groups. In addition, the two FCs in patients with aPD were significantly correlated with the rate of improvement in anxiety. Conclusion We found that the two FCs in patients with aPD (olfactory cortex and inferior frontal gyrus [IFG] pars orbitalis; inferior temporal gyrus and posterior orbital gyrus) were significantly correlated with the rate of improvement in anxiety. Our study may help us understand the underlying mechanisms by which STN-DBS improves anxiety in PD patients and identify more effective treatment strategies.

A voxel-level resting-state fMRI study on patients with alcohol use disorders based on a power spectrum slope analysis method

“…Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is a non-invasive method, revealing the phenomenon of spontaneous neuronal activity at rest. One of its potential clinical applications is the exact localization of aberrant brain activity, which would aid in both the qualitative diagnosis and the direction of precise stimulation therapy, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep brain stimulation ( Zhao et al, 2022 ; Chang et al, 2023 ; Muller et al, 2023 ). Using rs-fMRI, ( Abdallah et al, 2021 ) reported AUD patients existed abnormal connectivity between the cerebellum and both the frontoparietal executive control and ventral attention networks.…”

Oscillation-Specific Nodal Differences in Parkinson’s Disease Patients with Anxiety

“…The limbic system plays a key role in mood regulation, and disruptions in that system can lead to anxiety [ 6 ]. Furthermore, interventional studies using rs-fMRI have started to explore how non-pharmacological interventions such as deep brain stimulation affect the functional connectivity patterns in patients with PD and anxiety [ 7 ]. Despite these advancements, challenges still persist in the field.…”