Increased free water in the nucleus basalis of Meynert is associated with worse olfaction in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

The association of cholinergic basal forebrain (cBF) degeneration and olfactory function in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unclear. We analyzed free water (FW) values in the cBF of participants from the PPMI dataset, and found increased FW values in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) were correlated with worse olfaction in patients with PD. FW in the NBM has the potential to provide early biomarkers of olfaction dysfunction in patients with PD.