Objective: To characterize alterations in local brain function measured by degree centrality (DC) and to explore potential neurotransmitter information in PD patients with ICD (PD-ICD), in order to elucidate the pathogenesis of ICD.

Background: Impulse control disorders (ICD) are  related to dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD), manifesting as pathological gambling, compulsive sexual behavior, compulsive shopping, and binge eating. The underlying pathogenesis remains unclear.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 19 PD patients with ICD (PD-ICD group), 24 PD patients without ICD (PD-NICD group), and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC group) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) scans. Voxel-wise degree centrality analysis was first performed to investigate intrinsic connectivity in PD-ICD patients, assessing group differences and their associations with symptom severity and diagnostic utility. Subsequently, we employed the JuSpace toolbox to further validate whether the spatial pattern of DC changes was related to specific neurotransmitters.

Results: Compared with the PD-NICD group, the PD-ICD group showed decreased DC values in the right angular gyrus  and the left postcentral gyrus . Additionally, compared with the HC group, decreased DC values were observed in the right superior parietal gyrus . The DC value in the right angular gyrus was negatively correlated with the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS) score (r = -0.466, p = 0.044). Furthermore, we found that the DC value in the right angular gyrus could distinguish between the PD-ICD and PD-NICD groups [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.932]. The spatial distribution of brain regions with DC differences between the PD-ICD and PD-NICD groups was significantly correlated with the distribution map of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) (rho = -0.180, FDR-p = 0.045).

Conclusion: The present study found that significant DC alterations, particularly decreased DC values in the right angular gyrus and right superior parietal gyrus, along with abnormal distribution of the mGluR5-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmitter system, may constitute the neurobiological basis of ICD in Parkinson’s disease patients.

« Back to 2026 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/altered-degree-centrality-and-its-association-with-neurotransmitter-systems-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-with-impulse-control-disorders-a-resting-state-fmri-study/