Disrupted topological organization of brain networks in early Parkinson’s disease (PD) subjects: Insights from Parkinson’s Progressive Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset

In vivo imaging that reliably captures the impact of the spreading pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), including its impact on both white and gray matter, remains elusive. In this study, we applied graph-theoretical techniques to multi-site diffusion-MRI data from a cohort of early PD-subjects in Parkinson’s Progressive Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. A disrupted topological brain organization in early PD-subjects was revealed with impaired network integration, segregation, global efficiency, and local efficiency. Furthermore, there was also rearrangement of nodes in different modules between the groups. Our study opens new avenues to understanding disease progression and severity of PD from graph-theoretical approach.