Karsten Mueller1,
Stefan Holiga1, Harald E. Mller1, Matthias L.
Schroeter1, 2, Josef Vymazal3, Filip Ruicka4,
5, Duan Urgok4, 5, Even Ruicka4,
Robert Jech4
1Max
Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Sachsen,
Germany; 2Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Sachsen,
Germany; 3Department of Radiology, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague,
Czech Republic; 4Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical
Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague,
Prague, Czech Republic; 5Department of Stereotactic and Radiation
Neurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
We explored differential effects of levodopa treatment and deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on motor networks affected by Parkinsons disease (PD), using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results revealed significantly altered functional connectivity between premotor cortex and other brain regions as cerebellum and thalamus, by contrasting levodopa treatment with DBS. Our results indicate that levodopa and DBS might have a distinctive influence on connectivity patterns in PD motor networks. The overlying DBS and surgery-related microlesion effects need to be studied separately in order to further investigate these findings.