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The cortical thickness has gained an extensive attention as a pathological alteration of sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD), the alteration of pathological cortical thickness may distinctly contribute to the consistent clinical manifestations. Therefore, we investigated the cortical thickness correlates of clinical manifestations in the mid-stage sPD from the Han population of Chinese mainland (HPCM). A sample of 67 mid-stage sPD patients and 35 matched controls from HPCM were performed a corticometry of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the assessment of clinical manifestations including the demographic and disease-related characteristics, and underwent the final analysis of the cortical thickness correlates with the clinical manifestations. In our result, we demonstrated that no significant differences in the demographic characteristics were found among the two groups. The tests of clinical disease-related characteristics demonstrated that the significant differences in the Hoehn and Yahr scale, the UPDRS Part I-IV, the symptom-dominant side (right/left/double), the tremor subscoree off (e), the tremor subscoref on (f), Webster, MMSE, HDS-R, DF, DB, SVFT, SDS, HAMD17, HAMD 24, CDT, CDR, LEDD and PDSI were observed between the mid-stage sPD patients and the controls. The analysis about the cortical thickness correlates with the clinical manifestations revealed that a significant correlation between UPDRS-I and Frontal-Sup-Orb-R and Rectus-R; DB and Frontal-Sup-Orb-R and Frontal-Inf-Orb-R; SDS and Frontal-Sup-Orb-R, Frontal-Mid-Orb-R, Rectus-R and Cingulum-Ant-R respectively in the mid-stage sPD patients from HPCM. Our data showed that the cortical thinning in the right frontal Orb, rectus and cingulum were the pathological base of some clinical manifestations including the cognitive impairment, hallucinations, psychosis, the depressed mood, the anxious mood, apathy, the sleep problems, the nighttime or/and daytime sleepiness, the short term memory stores and the central execution, as well as the sexual desire disorder in the mid-stage sPD patients, suggesting that the dysfunctions of brain regions of some cortical thinning are closely correlated with some clinical manifestations of the mid-stage sPD.

Many symptoms of sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD) can't be completely explained by the lesion of simple typical extrapyramidal circuit between striatum and substantia nigra. Therefore, we investigated the alteration of cortical volume, thickness, surface, and density in the intermediate sPD from the Han population of Mainland China in order to find the new pathological brain regions associated with the complex clinical manifestations of sPD. The cortical volume, thickness, surface and density were examined using the voxel-based cortical morphometry and corticometry on magnetic resonance image (MRI) in 67 intermediate sPD and 35 controls, the multiple adjusted comparisons analysis of all MRI data were employed to assess the relationships between the cortical morphometric alteration in the specific brain regions and sPD. Results showed that a significantly shrunk volume, thinned thickness and enlarged or reduced surface of cortex in some specific brain regions were closely associated with sPD, but all cortical densities were not different. The majority of morphometric alteration of hemisphere cortex was symmetric, but that in the left hemisphere was more significant. The cortical morphometric alterations in the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital and limbic lobe, cerebellum, caudate, and thalamus were closely related to the clinical neural dysfunction (Clinical manifestations) of sPD. Our data indicated that the deficits of extensive brain regions involved in the development of sPD, resulted in a series of correspondent complex clinical manifestations in the disease.

The alteration of pathological cortical surface may lead to the corresponding clinical manifestations of sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD). Therefore, we investigated the correlates of cortical surface and clinical manifestations in the mid-stage sPD. Sixty seven mid-stage sPD patients and thirty five matched controls were performed the corticometry of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the assessment of clinical manifestations including the demographic and disease-related characteristics, and underwent the final analysis of the correlates between cortical surface and clinical manifestations. The result revealed a significant correlation between CDT and Frontal-Sup-Orb-L, Frontal-Sup-Medial-L, Frontal-Mid-Orb-L and Rectus-L; SVFT and Frontal-Mid-L and Frontal-Inf-Tri-L; DF and Frontal-Sup-R, Frontal-Mid-R and Frontal-Sup-Medial-R; Webster and Occipital-Mid-R, Angular-R, Temporal-Sup-R and Temporal-Mid-R respectively in the mid-stage sPD patients. Our data suggested that the alterations of cortical surface in the left Frontal-Sup-Orb, Sup-Medial, Mid-Orb, Mid, Inf-Tri and Rectus, the right Frontal-Sup, Mid, Sup-Medial, and Occipital-Mid, Angular, Temporal-Sup and Temporal-Mid were the pathological base of some clinical manifestations including the cognitive impairment, the space structure, memory, attention, the abstract thinking, design, layout, utilization, digital, calculation, the time and spatial orientation concept, the operation sequence recognition and the partial motor dysfunctions in the mid-stage sPD, and that the dysfunctions of these brain regions contributed by the cortical surface lesion were closely correlated with some clinical manifestations of mid-stage sPD.

To discuss the central modulating mechanism of Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) differences of the functional brain regions between SP 6 and sham acupoint.Sixteen volunteers accepted right Sanyinjiao (SP 6) (SP 6 group) or right sham (sham group) acupuncture for two times after 24 h sleep deprivation (SD), there was two weeks between two acupunctures. The needle was retained for 4 minutes and the brain fMRI scanning was performed by 3.0 TMR every time. The ALFF consequent data was processed by REST. One-sample t-test and two-pair t-test were performed by SPM5.SP 6 group mainly caused ALFF change in inferior parietal lobule, posterior cingulated while sham group in precuneus, posterior cingulated. SP 6 group increased ALFF in left fusiform temporal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus with no decreased regions compared with sham group.Retaining needle dose influence the activity of the brain region during resting-state in both group, especially the mood-related regions. And its mechanism is probably that the relevant effect is carried out by regulating function to target organs of complex brain network comprised of relevant functional center and related brain region. There are differences between SP 6 and Sham acupoint.

Objective To explore the gender differences of brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) in healthy subjects during the resting-state, after normal sleep, and after sleep deprivation (SD) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the ReHo method. Methods Sixteen healthy subjects (eight males and eight females) each underwent the resting-state fMRI exams twice, i.e., once after normal sleep and again after 24h's SD. According to the gender and sleep, 16 subjects were all measured twice and divided into four groups: the male control group (MC), female control group (FC), male SD group (MSD), and female SD group (FSD). The ReHo method was used to calculate and analyze the data, SPM5 software was used to perform a two-sample T -test and a two-pair T -test with a P value 3 was used to determine statistical significance. Results Compared with the MC, the MSD showed significantly higher ReHo in the right paracentral lobule (BA3/6), but in no obviously lower regions. Compared with the FC, the FSD showed significantly higher ReHo in bilateral parietal lobes (BA2/3), bilateral vision-related regions of occipital lobes (BA17/18/19), right frontal lobe (BA4/6), and lower ReHo in the right frontal lobe. Compared with the FC, the MC showed significantly higher ReHo in the left occipital lobe (BA18/19), and left temporal lobe (BA21), left frontal lobe, and lower ReHo in the right insula and in the left parietal lobe. Compared with the FSD, the MSD showed significantly higher ReHo in the left cerebellum posterior lobe (uvula/declive of vermis), left parietal lobe, and bilateral frontal lobes, and lower ReHo in the right occipital lobe (BA17) and right frontal lobe (BA4). Conclusions The differences of brain activity in the resting state can be widely found not only between the control and SD group in a same gender group, but also between the male group and female group. Thus, we should take the gender differences into consideration in future fMRI studies, especially the treatment of brain-related diseases (e.g., depression).