Alterations of regional homogeneity in freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

Introduction: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a serious complication in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and is more common in the late state of the disease. The high risk of falling in patients with FOG impacts their quality of life. Objective: To explore altered neuroactivity related to cognitive and executive function of PD patients with FOG. Methods: Fourteen PD patients with FOG (FOG +), 20 PD patients without FOG (FOG), and 18 normal controls (NC) were enrolled. Functional MRI data of all PD patients were collected during OFF medication state. Data were analyzed using software of DPARSF and REST. Resting brain activity was measured by regional homogeneity (ReHo). ANOVA test was performed for ReHo among FOG, PD, and NC groups. Results: ReHo alterations of left supplementary motor area (SMA) (Brodmann 6), left superior frontal region (Brodmann 9), and the right putamen (Brodmann 48) were significantly different among the three groups. The ReHo values within left SMA (Brodmann 6) and left superior frontal region (Brodmann 9) were significantly decreased in FOG + patients compared with FOG patients. Conclusion: Changes in neural hypoactivity within the frontal region and SMA appear to be associated with FOG in PD patients, which suggests that the mechanism underlying FOG may relate to disruption of execution and cognition.