Application of Functional MRI in Parkinson's Disease and Default Mode Network: Review of the Literature.
Zain A Khan, M Abdullah Shafiq, Jyotpal Singh, Ziaur Rehman, Holly A Bardutz
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques May 19, 2025 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2025.110 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals with Parkinson's disease |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Parkinson’s disease Functional MRI Parkinsons-disease Brain-connectivity Neuroimaging Consciousness |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Parkinson's disease disrupts default mode network connectivity, with impaired connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and precuneus, and greater motor symptoms associated with larger alterations in frontal lobe and posterior cingulate cortex connections. |
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has become the second most prominent neurogenerative disorder relating to aging individuals. PD involves the loss of neurons containing dopamine in the midbrain and leads to a number of motor issues as well as non-motor complications such as cognitive and psychological abnormalities. The default mode network (DMN) is a complex brain network primarily active during rest and serves multiple roles relating to memory, self-referential processing, social cognition and consciousness and awareness. Multiple brain regions are involved in the DMN such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), the inferior parietal lobule, the precuneus and the lateral temporal cortex. Normal DMN connectivity is vital to preserving consciousness and self-awareness. Neurological pathologies such as PD disrupt DMN connectivity, leading to complex issues. Functional MRI (fMRI) is a neuroimaging modality used to observe brain activity through measuring blood flow differences as it relates to brain activity. DMN connectivity experiments using fMRI find that individuals with PD exhibit impaired DMN connectivity in specific regions including the PCC, mPFC and the precuneus. Individuals with greater PD motor symptoms have also been found to suffer larger alterations in DMN connections anatomically within the frontal lobe and PCC. While fMRI has been utilized as a tool to explore the relationship between PD patients and DMN connectivity, future research should look to develop a better understanding of the specific mechanisms of action that drive this link between DMN abnormality and PD severity.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |