Objective: To investigate alterations in functional connectivity (FC) within and between key resting-state networks in early Parkinson’s disease patients with anxiety, using 7-Tesla (7T) MRI.

Background: Anxiety is a frequent, disabling non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease.

Method: Non-demented Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy controls (HC) underwent clinical, cognitive, and behavioral assessments, along with 7T MRI scanning (3D-T1 and resting-state functional sequencies). Independent component analysis identified six major resting-state networks: the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), central executive network (CEN), dorsal attention network (DAN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and visual network (VN). Severity of anxiety was assessed with the Parkinson Anxiety Scale. FC within and between these networks was compared across Parkinson’s disease patients with anxiety (AnxPD), Parkinson’s disease without anxiety (nonAnxPD), and HC using multivariate models. Associations with the PAS were examined using regression analyses.

Results: Among 140 participants (30 AnxPD, 73 nonAnxPD, 37 HC), AnxPD showed reduced intra-network FC within the SN (cingulo-insular, p=0.007) and CEN (fronto-temporal, p=0.033), and increased FC within the DMN (cingulum, p=0.028). Inter-network FC was reduced between the DMN, CEN, and SN (p=0.038), and between the SN and DAN (p=0.034), while FC between the SMN and CEN was increased (p=0.022). Anxiety scores were positively associated with FC between SMN and SN (R=0.63, p=0.022).

Conclusion: Anxiety in early Parkinson’s disease is associated with distinct alterations within and between functional networks. These findings suggest triple-network dysfunction and may help identifying early biomarkers of behavioral symptoms.

Functional network imbalance in PD-related Anxiety

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/resting-state-functional-network-alterations-in-early-parkinsons-disease-anxiety-a-7t-mri-study/