{"id":16386,"date":"2024-12-23T10:33:39","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T13:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brainn.org.br\/?p=16386"},"modified":"2025-01-21T14:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T17:23:41","slug":"estudo-global-identifica-marcadores-para-os-cinco-estagios-clinicos-da-doenca-de-parkinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brainn.org.br\/en\/estudo-global-identifica-marcadores-para-os-cinco-estagios-clinicos-da-doenca-de-parkinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Study Identifies Markers for the Five Clinical Stages of Parkinson’s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"Research, which included the participation of BRAINN, analyzed data from over 2,500 individuals with Parkinson’s and developed metrics for each clinical stage of the disease.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Originally published by Ag\u00eancia FAPESP<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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By establishing a new metric, researchers envision advancements in diagnosing and treating a disease that is estimated to affect around 4 million people worldwide.<\/p>\n

Maria Fernanda Ziegler | Ag\u00eancia FAPESP<\/strong> \u2013 In a study that analyzed brain images from more than 2,500 individuals with Parkinson\u2019s disease across 20 countries, scientists identified neurodegeneration patterns and created metrics for each of the disease\u2019s five clinical stages.<\/p>\n

The work, published<\/a><\/strong> in NPJ Parkinson’s Disease<\/em>, represents a breakthrough in understanding Parkinson’s. The analyses and the vast data obtained could lead to significant developments, not only in diagnostic advancements but also in enabling new treatments to be tested and monitored like never before.<\/p>\n

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Read the article:<\/strong>
\nLaansma, M.A., Zhao, Y., van Heese, E.M., et al.<\/em> A worldwide study of subcortical shape as a marker for clinical staging in Parkinson\u2019s disease. npj Parkinson’s Dis.<\/em> 10<\/strong>, 223 (2024). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41531-024-00825-9<\/a><\/p>\n

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Approximately 4 million people worldwide are estimated to have Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition affecting brain structures linked to movement. The disease progresses variably among patients, potentially taking up to 20 years to transition through all stages.<\/p>\n

In its early stages, initial signs include tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowed movements on one side of the body. Later, symptoms become bilateral. In the final stage, patients may rely on wheelchairs as leg stiffness prevents walking.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many years, clinical diagnosis, supported by complementary exams, has been well established. However, for the first time, it was possible to correlate the disease\u2019s progression scale\u2014the five stages of clinical symptoms\u2014with quantitative changes in brain images,\u201d explains Fernando Cendes<\/a>, lead researcher at the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN)<\/a><\/strong>, a FAPESP Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (CEPID) based at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BRAINN is part of the ENIGMA Consortium<\/a><\/strong>, an international network of scientists in imaging genomics, neurology, and psychiatry. The group leverages high-resolution MRI, genetic data, and other information to study conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson\u2019s, Alzheimer\u2019s, autism, and schizophrenia.<\/p>\n

Cendes explains that Parkinson’s disease involves changes in the brain’s basal ganglia\u2014regions associated with automatic movements. However, the study revealed progressive alterations in other cortical areas, previously thought to be less involved in the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe observed that as each disease stage advanced, there was increased atrophy or hypertrophy not only in movement-related structures but also in other cortical areas. These combinations of atrophy and hypertrophy correlate with the disease\u2019s stage,\u201d he says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Additionally, researchers found shape differences in various brain structures. Some thalamic regions, responsible for relaying sensory information to the cortex, thickened, while others, such as the amygdala, responsible for social behavior and emotion regulation, atrophied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese changes are not visible to the naked eye,\u201d Cendes explains. \u201cThey are submillimetric measurements. However, with programs and AI, it is possible to identify patterns and monitor these changes in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Driving New Treatments<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By establishing a metric to quantify brain changes related to Parkinson\u2019s stages, the study could have several implications, beginning with improving diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe morphometric data we obtained are sensitive and reproducible, supporting clinical diagnosis. With the vast amount of data from this study, AI-assisted programs could aid clinicians,\u201d Cendes says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Further implications lie in treatments. Currently, Parkinson\u2019s is incurable, and treatments only address dopamine deficiency\u2014the neurotransmitter lost in patients, which triggers brain changes and symptoms.<\/p>\n

Over time, the disease affects other brain areas, causing non-motor symptoms like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, cognitive decline, and, eventually, dementia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese findings allow new ways to monitor treatments developed in the future. The ultimate goal is to find a treatment that halts neurodegeneration or at least slows its progression. The metrics we identified are essential to evaluating future therapies, ensuring they work comprehensively\u2014not just on movement-related areas but also on others affected by the disease,\u201d he emphasizes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another significant impact of the study is in data science. The large dataset includes diverse countries, study groups, disease stages, and data types.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe innovation lies not only in identifying metrics related to Parkinson\u2019s stages but also in the data analysis methods. These advances pave the way for future AI-driven studies on other diseases,\u201d Cendes concludes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The article A worldwide study of subcortical shape as a marker for clinical staging in Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/em> can be read at: https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41531-024-00825-9<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Also available on UOL.com.br<\/a> and Veja.com.br<\/a>.<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sorry, this entry is only available in Brazilian Portuguese.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":16390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_meta":""},"categories":[549,277],"tags":[394,570,376,978,395],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t