The connection of motor improvement after deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease and microstructural integrity of the substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus

Abstract: Background
Nigrostriatal microstructural integrity has been suggested as a biomarker for levodopa response in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is a strong predictor for motor response to deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). This study aimed to explore the impact of microstructural integrity of the substantia nigra (SN), STN, and putamen on motor response to STN-DBS using diffusion microstructure imaging.

Methods
Data was collected from 23 PD patients (mean age 63 ± 7, 6 females) who underwent STN-DBS, had preoperative 3 T diffusion magnetic resonance imaging including multishell diffusion-weighted MRI with b-values of 1000 and 2000 s/mm2 and records of motor improvement available.

Results
The association between a poorer DBS-response and increased free interstitial fluid showed notable effect sizes (rho > |0.4|) in SN and STN, but not in putamen. However, this did not reach significance after Bonferroni correction and controlling for sex and age.

Conclusion
Microstructural integrity of SN and STN are potential biomarkers for the prediction of therapy efficacy following STN-DBS, but further studies are required to confirm these associations

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: NeuroImage: Clinical. - 42 (2024) , 103607, ISSN: 2213-1582

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2024
• Creator: Hermann, Marco G. ; Schröter, Nils ; Rau, Alexander ; Reisert, Marco ; Jarc, Nadja ; Rijntjes, Michel ; Hosp, Jonas Aurel ; Reinacher, Peter ; Jost, Wolfgang H. ; Urbach, Horst ; Weiller, Cornelius ; Coenen, Volker Arnd ; Sajonz, Bastian

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103607
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2471667
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 2025-08-14T10:54:01+0200