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Increasing Ch4 density is associated with higher scores on various cognitive measurements.
MIAMI—Reduced cholinergic nucleus 4 (Ch4) density in Parkinson’s disease, as measured with MRI, is associated with deficits in attention, processing speed, and visuospatial function, according to research described at the Second Pan American Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress. Ch4 density may serve as a surrogate imaging biomarker of cognition in early Parkinson’s disease, said the researchers.
Degeneration of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) contributes to dementia in Parkinson’s disease through a loss of cholinergic innervation to the neocortex. Cholinergic neurons of the NBM are in Ch4, a structure that can be measured with MRI techniques using cytoarchitectonic maps.
Evaluating Ch4 Density and Cognitive Performance
To determine whether Ch4 density, a proxy measure for NBM volume, is associated with cognitive test performance in de novo Parkinson’s disease, Cody S. Freeman, MD, a fellow at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, and colleagues analyzed baseline brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores for 228 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 101 healthy controls from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). They also analyzed brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores at four years for a subset of 92 participants with Parkinson’s disease in the PPMI. 
Neuropsychologic testing included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO), Letter Number Sequencing (LNS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and semantic fluency (animals).
The researchers used MP-RAGE T1 sequences and a probabilistic atlas from the reference Montreal Neurological Institute single subject brain to apply voxel-based morphometry methods to determine Ch4 density. In addition, they used correlation coefficients and linear regression models to analyze relationships between Ch4 density and cognitive scores.
Ch4 Density Was Significantly Associated With Higher MoCA Scores
At baseline, 33.7% of healthy controls and 38.2% of patients with Parkinson’s disease were female. The mean age at neurologic testing was 59.5 among healthy controls and 61.0 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort. The median MoCA score was 28 for controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease at baseline. The mean Ch4 density was 87.9 in the control group and 86.4 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort.
At baseline, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, Ch4 density was significantly associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. The researchers observed no associations between Ch4 density and JLO and semantic fluency in linear regression models adjusted for sex.
For the subset of participants with Parkinson’s disease with brain MRI and neuropsychologic testing available at four years, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores.
Increasing Ch4 density is associated with higher scores on various cognitive measurements.
Increasing Ch4 density is associated with higher scores on various cognitive measurements.
MIAMI—Reduced cholinergic nucleus 4 (Ch4) density in Parkinson’s disease, as measured with MRI, is associated with deficits in attention, processing speed, and visuospatial function, according to research described at the Second Pan American Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress. Ch4 density may serve as a surrogate imaging biomarker of cognition in early Parkinson’s disease, said the researchers.
Degeneration of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) contributes to dementia in Parkinson’s disease through a loss of cholinergic innervation to the neocortex. Cholinergic neurons of the NBM are in Ch4, a structure that can be measured with MRI techniques using cytoarchitectonic maps.
Evaluating Ch4 Density and Cognitive Performance
To determine whether Ch4 density, a proxy measure for NBM volume, is associated with cognitive test performance in de novo Parkinson’s disease, Cody S. Freeman, MD, a fellow at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, and colleagues analyzed baseline brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores for 228 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 101 healthy controls from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). They also analyzed brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores at four years for a subset of 92 participants with Parkinson’s disease in the PPMI.
Neuropsychologic testing included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO), Letter Number Sequencing (LNS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and semantic fluency (animals).
The researchers used MP-RAGE T1 sequences and a probabilistic atlas from the reference Montreal Neurological Institute single subject brain to apply voxel-based morphometry methods to determine Ch4 density. In addition, they used correlation coefficients and linear regression models to analyze relationships between Ch4 density and cognitive scores.
Ch4 Density Was Significantly Associated With Higher MoCA Scores
At baseline, 33.7% of healthy controls and 38.2% of patients with Parkinson’s disease were female. The mean age at neurologic testing was 59.5 among healthy controls and 61.0 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort. The median MoCA score was 28 for controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease at baseline. The mean Ch4 density was 87.9 in the control group and 86.4 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort.
At baseline, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, Ch4 density was significantly associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. The researchers observed no associations between Ch4 density and JLO and semantic fluency in linear regression models adjusted for sex.
For the subset of participants with Parkinson’s disease with brain MRI and neuropsychologic testing available at four years, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores.
MIAMI—Reduced cholinergic nucleus 4 (Ch4) density in Parkinson’s disease, as measured with MRI, is associated with deficits in attention, processing speed, and visuospatial function, according to research described at the Second Pan American Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress. Ch4 density may serve as a surrogate imaging biomarker of cognition in early Parkinson’s disease, said the researchers.
Degeneration of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) contributes to dementia in Parkinson’s disease through a loss of cholinergic innervation to the neocortex. Cholinergic neurons of the NBM are in Ch4, a structure that can be measured with MRI techniques using cytoarchitectonic maps.
Evaluating Ch4 Density and Cognitive Performance
To determine whether Ch4 density, a proxy measure for NBM volume, is associated with cognitive test performance in de novo Parkinson’s disease, Cody S. Freeman, MD, a fellow at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, and colleagues analyzed baseline brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores for 228 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 101 healthy controls from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). They also analyzed brain MRIs and neuropsychologic test scores at four years for a subset of 92 participants with Parkinson’s disease in the PPMI.
Neuropsychologic testing included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO), Letter Number Sequencing (LNS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and semantic fluency (animals).
The researchers used MP-RAGE T1 sequences and a probabilistic atlas from the reference Montreal Neurological Institute single subject brain to apply voxel-based morphometry methods to determine Ch4 density. In addition, they used correlation coefficients and linear regression models to analyze relationships between Ch4 density and cognitive scores.
Ch4 Density Was Significantly Associated With Higher MoCA Scores
At baseline, 33.7% of healthy controls and 38.2% of patients with Parkinson’s disease were female. The mean age at neurologic testing was 59.5 among healthy controls and 61.0 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort. The median MoCA score was 28 for controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease at baseline. The mean Ch4 density was 87.9 in the control group and 86.4 in the Parkinson’s disease cohort.
At baseline, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, Ch4 density was significantly associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores. The researchers observed no associations between Ch4 density and JLO and semantic fluency in linear regression models adjusted for sex.
For the subset of participants with Parkinson’s disease with brain MRI and neuropsychologic testing available at four years, Ch4 density was significantly correlated with MoCA, JLO, LNS, and SDMT. In a linear regression model adjusted for age and sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher MoCA scores in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In linear regression models adjusted for sex, increasing Ch4 density was associated with higher JLO, LNS, and SDMT scores.