Metabolic Networks in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

The idea that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a “network” disorder has emerged alongside our evolving understanding of the basal ganglia’s complex interconnections. The notion of a direct and indirect pathway has remained an important concept even as we have increasingly come to acknowledge the oversimplifications of the construct. Fortunately, metabolic brain imaging with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has allowed us to explore and expand upon these network ideas in novel ways. The application of network-oriented image analysis to FDG PET provides valuable information concerning functional connectivity and is thus particularly well suited to the study of complex brain disorders like PD and related parkinsonian syndromes. In this chapter, we will review these PD-related metabolic networks along with their research and clinical applications.