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Abstract #4547

Exploring Cortical Myelination to Understand Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease

Gaurav N. Rathi1, Jason Longhurst2, Zoltan Mari3, and Virendra R. Mishra1
1Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States, 2St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States, 3Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Las Vegas, NV, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Parkinson's Disease, Multi-Contrast

Motivation: Cortical myelination (CM) has not been explored as a biomarker for predicting freezing of gait (FoG) or differentiating Parkinson’s disease (PD) subtypes, despite the limited accessibility of current neuroimaging techniques for FoG study.

Goal(s): This study investigates CM differences across PD-FoG, PD-Non-FoG, and HC, aiming to correlate CM with clinical metrics of motor impairment and disease progression.

Approach: Using T1/T2-weighted MRI, we analyzed hemispheric-specific CM to identify their variations and associations with clinical and physical therapy metrices.

Results: We found reduced CM in PD-FoG, especially in motor-related regions, with CM levels correlating positively with motor severity and disease progression.

Impact: Cortical myelination reduction correlated with clinical and PT scores, suggests CM as a useful biomarker in settings needing detailed symptom tracking. CM could guide interventions, preserving mobility and reducing fall risks in severe PD-FoG cases.

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