パーキンソン病の局所脳体積と社会的認知

Voxel-Based Morphometry and Social Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease

パーキンソン病では近年，voxel-based morphometryにより，局所脳体積の分析が増えている。健常者との比較で体積が低下している部位の検討では脳の広範囲について萎縮が報告されている。症状や認知課題成績と脳体積の相関を調べる検討では，情動機能やコミュニケーション機能および行動異常などさまざまな指標と局所脳体積の関連が明らかになっている。これまでの結果に不一致は多く，他の手法との組み合わせた検討も期待される。

Abstract

In recent years, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has been increasingly used to investigate local brain structures in Parkinson's disease (PD). Compared to healthy participants, PD patients tend to show reduced brain volume in limbic and paralimbic areas in early disease stages, while the neocortical areas, such as the temporal and frontal cortices, are affected in advanced patients. Moreover, there are many studies showing correlation between cognitive performance and local brain volume. In the last decade, emotional and social cognitive function, such as facial emotion recognition, emotional decision-making, and theory of mind, have been the target of VBM analysis in PD. These studies facilitate understanding of the nature of communication and behavioral disorders that some PD patients display. However, there are discrepancies in VBM results between studies. Future studies need to employ larger sample sizes and combined analysis of brain perfusion or network connectivity in order to confirm brain structural changes and their effects on social cognitive function in PD patients.