Brain Networks Involved in Sensory Perception in Parkinson’s Disease: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has historically been considered a disorder of motor dysfunction. However, a growing number of studies have demonstrated sensory abnormalities in PD across the modalities of proprioceptive, tactile, visual, auditory and temporal perception. A better understanding of these may inform future drug and neuromodulation therapy. We analysed these studies using a scoping review. In total, 101 studies comprising 2853 human participants (88 studies) and 125 animals (13 studies), published between 1982 and 2022, were included. These highlighted the importance of the basal ganglia in sensory perception across all modalities, with an additional role for the integration of multiple simultaneous sensation types. Numerous studies concluded that sensory abnormalities in PD result from increased noise in the basal ganglia and increased neuronal receptive field size. There is evidence that sensory changes in PD and impaired sensorimotor integration may contribute to motor abnormalities.

Hypo-connectivity of the primary somatosensory cortex in Parkinson’s disease: a resting-state functional MRI study

“…The axial symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as freezing of gait, postural instability, trunk posture alterations, and balance difficulties, exert a substantial influence on the quality of life of affected individuals. Impaired sensor-motor integration is also a significant factor contributing to the decline of motor skills in PD patients ( 15 ). Research on the effects of pedunculopontine nucleus area (PPNa) deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment has demonstrated the potential for improvement in axial symptoms in PD patients, as well as the restoration of sensory-related functional connections ( 36 , 37 ).…”

“…Multiple sensory impairments, such as proprioceptive, tactile, olfactory, visual, and auditory deficits, have garnered significant attention in PD patients ( 15 , 16 ). Sensory dysfunction observed in PD can manifest as either “pure” disorders of perception or as disorders of sensorimotor integration, which are characterized by a breakdown in the sensory-regulated control of motor responses ( 15 , 17 , 18 ). Sensory abnormalities that affect motor function may consequently exacerbate the overall disease burden indirectly.…”

Early Sensory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of Potential Integrating Diagnostic Methods

“…AD is clinically characterized by a progressive cognition decline and dementia, in addition to the two required pathologies hallmarks, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque aggregation and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles 4 . The traditional clinical criteria for AD diagnosis were originally founded upon cognitive clinical AD diagnosis, since it can also be caused by various non-AD-related factors, such as neutral aging, environmental factors, and other neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease 16 .…”