With the new parameters, researchers expect progress in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease
From a study that analyzed brain images of more than 2,500 people with Parkinson’s disease in 20 different countries, scientists were able to identify patterns of neurodegeneration and create parameters for each of the disease’s five clinical stages.
The work, published in NPJ Parkinson’s diseaseis a leap forward in understanding Parkinson’s. This is because the analyzes and volume of data obtained in the study can enable important developments not only for diagnostic progress but also allow us to test and monitor new treatments like never before.
It is estimated that approximately 4 million people worldwide are affected Parkinson’s disease. It is a progressive neurological disease that affects some structures of the brainparticularly areas related to movement. The progression of the disease is variable and irregular among patients and can take up to 20 years to overcome all stages. In the initial phase, the first signs of tremors, muscle rigidity and slow movements appear on only one side of the body.. Then the symptoms become bilateral. In the last stage, one depends on the wheelchair to get around, as the stiffness of the legs prevents the patient from walking.
“The clinical diagnosis, supported by some complementary tests, has been well established for many years. However, for the first time, it was possible to relate the disease progression scale – the five stages of clinical symptoms – with quantitative changes in brain images”, explains Fernando Cendes, lead researcher at the Institute for Research on Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN) – Center for Research, Innovation and Dissemination (Cepid) of Fapespbased in State University of Campinas (Unicamp).
BRAINN is one of the institutes that integrate the Enigma Consortium, international network that brings together scientists in genomic, neurological and psychiatric imaging understand the structure and function of the brain, based on high-resolution MRI, genetic data and other information from patients with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’sautism, schizophrenia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Cendes explains that in Parkinson’s disease, changes occur in the brain structure of the so-called basal ganglia, or basal ganglia, areas of the brain linked to automatic movement. However, the study made it possible to demonstrate the existence of progressive changes in other cortical areas, previously less involved in the disease.
“We observed that as each stage of the disease progressed, there was a greater degree of atrophy or hypertrophy not only in movement-related structures, but also in other cortical areas. And it is these combinations of atrophy and hypertrophy that are related to the stage of the disease,” he says.
“But that wasn’t the only thing we observed, many of these structures also had differences in shape. They had changed their spatial configuration. Some regions of the thalamus [estrutura cuja função é retransmitir informações dos sentidos para o córtex cerebral] they became thicker. Other regions, such as the tonsils [que desempenham um papel na regulação do comportamento social e emoções] they were stunted,” he says.
The researcher explains that these changes are not observed with the naked eye. “These are submillimeter measurements. However, with programs and use of artificial intelligence it is possible to identify patterns and, in the future, monitor these changes,” he says.
Push for new treatments
By establishing a metric to quantify brain changes linked to the stages of Parkinson’s disease, the study may have several ramifications, starting with supporting better diagnoses.
“The morphometric data that we have obtained with this work are sensitive and reproducible measurements, which allow them to support clinical diagnosis. With the infinity of data that we have obtained in this study, it is possible, with the help of artificial intelligence, create programs that help clinic,” says Cendes.
Other developments concern the field of treatments. Currently, Parkinson’s is a disease that has no cure and only its deficiency is treated. dopamine – neurotransmitter that patients’ neurons stop producing – and whose absence triggers all the changes and symptoms in the brain.
However, over time, the disease is not limited to the basal ganglia, but also affects other areas of the brain, and patients tend to present with other non-motor symptoms, such as depressionanxiety, sleep disorders and cognitive changes such as memory loss and eventually dementia.
“The results of this work enable new ways of monitoring treatments that could be developed in the future. The main goal in relation to the disease has been the search for a cure that stops the neurodegenerative process or, at least, reduces its speed And these measures we have identified are essential for evaluating future therapies, ensuring that they work globally, not only in brain areas related to movement, but also in others that undergo changes,” he emphasizes.
A third impact of the study – which analyzed a large amount of data – does not go to the field of medicine, but to that of data science. “This is a very large cohort with different countries, study groups, disease stages and even data types. Therefore, the innovation of the study is not only in identifying these parameters related to the stages of Parkinson’s disease, but also throughout the work related to the data. The whole type of analysis used in the work represented a great advance so that new studies can be carried out using artificial intelligence and on other diseases,” says Cendes.
The article “A worldwide study of subcortical shape as an indicator of clinical staging of Parkinson’s disease” can be read on: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-024-00825-9.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
