The Correlation Between The Cerebellum And Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: The Imaging Studies

Objective:Dementia is one of the nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and is characterized by extensive cognitive impairment,including impairment in visuospatial,executive function,attention,and working memory.The pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease dementia(PDD)is not fully understood at present.A large number of research evidences suggest that the cerebral cortex is associated with PDD.Some recent studies suggest that the cerebellum is involved in higher cognitive functions,in addition to motor coordination.However,there are fewer studies on the relationship between the cerebellum and the Parkinson’s disease dementia.Because the cerebellar cortex is interconnected with the cerebral cortex,We considered that the cerebellar may be associated with Parkinson’s disease dementia.The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the cerebellum and Parkinson’s disease dementia by imaging methods.Methods:According to the diagnostic criteria for PDD from the Chinese Society in Parkinson’s Disease and Movement disorders in 2021,we divided 43 patients with primary Parkinson’s disease into Parkinson’s disease dementia group(PD-D)and Parkinson’s disease cognitively normal group(PD-NC),performed clinical assessment and head MRI T1 imaging and FDG-PET/CT on all subjects,and compared the differences in cerebellar gray matter volume as well as glucose metabolism between the two groups by the SPM12 analysis.Results:(1)There were no significant difference in cerebral gray matter volume between the PD-D and PD-NC groups(p<0.001).(2)Compared with the PD-NC group,the PD-D group had reduced the glucose metabolism in the right cerebellar VII lobule(p<0.005).Conclusion:The cerebellum may be associated with Parkinson’s disease dementia.Changes of the glucose metabolism in the cerebellar VII lobule may be associated with Parkinson’s disease dementia.