Carlo Cosimo Quattrocchi MD, PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Claudia Piervincenzi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Carlo Augusto Mallio MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yuri Errante, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Filippo Carducci, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bruno Beomonte Zobel MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the changes of the brain resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) induced by Peripheral Pressure Neuro Stimulation (PPNS) in patients with Idiopathic Parkinson Disease (IPD).

Ten consecutive patients with IPD underwent brain fMRI pre- and post-sham and pre- and post-effective PPNS by means of the electromedical device GONDOLA (Ecker Technologies Sagl, Lugano, CH). Imaging data were acquired using a Siemens 1.5-T MAGNETOM Avanto (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). A total of 80 volumes during a 4.50 min scan was acquired before and after sham and effective PPNS in resting state condition. RSFC analysis was carried out using the seed-ROI based analysis. Seed ROIs were positioned on basal ganglia (nuclei accumbens, nuclei striatum, globi pallidi, thalami, as obtained with FIRST segmentation tool), on primary sensory-motor cortices (as on the Harvard-Oxford Cortical Atlas) and on the cerebellum (as on the MNI Structural Atlas). Individual differences for pre- and post-effective PPNS (treatment) and pre- and post-sham conditions were obtained and then entered into a paired-group t-test analysis.

Clusters of significantly (corrected p < 0.05) higher RSFC were found in the group analysis for the treatment condition effect with respect to the sham condition effect in the following areas: right cerebellar cortex and right lateral inferior Occipital Cortex for the sensory-motor seed ROI (max Z score 3.25); left lateral superior occipital cortex and left cerebellum for the cerebellar seed ROI (max Z score 3.64).

Our results show a consistent effect of the PPNS on increasing resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of brain regions involved in visuo-spatial integration and processing, in sensory-motor integration and anticipation of body position during movements after effective PPNS.

The study could give more insight into the intrinsic properties of functional brain organization associated with novel rehabilitation strategies in IPD.

Quattrocchi, C, Piervincenzi, C, Mallio, C, Errante, Y, Carducci, F, Beomonte Zobel, B, Gait-related Brain Resting State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson Disease after Peripheral Pressure Neuro Stimulation.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14045752.html