Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the association between enlarged perivascular spaces (PVSs) in the basal ganglia (BG-PVSs) and long-term motor outcomes in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 248 patients with drug-naïve early-stage PD (follow-up >3 years, mean age 67.44 ± 8.46 years, 130 females) who underwent brain MRI and dopamine transporter (DAT) scans at initial assessment. The number of baseline enlarged BG-PVSs was counted on axial T2-weighted images. Then, patients were divided into two groups: a PD group with a low number (0−10) of enlarged PVSs (PD-EPVS−; n = 156) and that with a high number (>10) of enlarged PVSs (PD-EPVS+; n = 92). We used Cox regression models to compare the levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID)-, wearing-off-, and freezing of gait (FOG)-free times between groups. We also compared longitudinal increases in levodopa-equivalent dose per body weight between groups using a linear mixed model.
Results: Patients in the PD-EPVS+ group were older (72.28 ± 6.07 years) and had greater small vessel disease burden than those in the PD-EPVS− group (64.58 ± 8.38 years). The PD-EPVS+ group exhibited more severely decreased DAT availability in all striatal sub-regions except the ventral striatum. The risk of FOG was higher in the PD-EPVS+ group, but the risk of LID or wearing-off was comparable between groups. The PD-EPVS+ group required higher doses of dopaminergic medications for effective symptom control compared to the PD-EPVS− group.
Conclusions: This study suggests that baseline enlarged BG-PVSs can be an indicator of the progression of motor disability in PD.
- Received August 2, 2020.
- Accepted in final form January 25, 2021.
- © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.