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Here we test the hypothesis that the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease (PD) moves stereotypically along neural networks, possibly reflecting the spread of toxic alphasynuclein molecules. PD patients (n = 105) and matched controls (n = 57) underwent T1-MRI at entry and 1 year later as part of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative. Over this period, PD patients demonstrate significantly greater cortical thinning than controls in parts of the left occipital and bilateral frontal lobes and right somatomotor-sensory cortex. Cortical thinning is correlated to connectivity (measured functionally or structurally) to a "disease reservoir" evaluated by MRI at baseline. The atrophy pattern in the ventral frontal lobes resembles one described in certain cases of Alzheimer's disease. Our findings suggest that disease propagation to the cortex in PD follows neuronal connectivity and that disease spread to the cortex may herald the onset of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which mapped the network structure and distribution of brain atrophy in Parkinson's Disease (PD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data of morphometry and independent component analysis for disease severity.