Cerebral Vasoreactivity in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study in a Hispanic Cohort

Abstract

Background: Abnormalities in cerebral vasomotor reactivity (CVR) in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) have not been well determined; nonetheless, a vascular mechanism may be involved in some patients with this neurodegenerative disorder. The objective of this study was to compare CVR in IPD patients and subjects without Parkinson’s disease. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted including Hispanic IPD patients and a control group. CVR in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) was measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) at rest and after inhalation of 7% CO2. A comparison of CVR in the MCA of both groups was performed. Results: 27 IPD Hispanic patients with a recent brain MRI were evaluated. The CVR showed a significant difference between the two groups (p=0.044). The CVR in 70% of the IPD patients was low in comparison to control subjects. Conclusion: IPD patients are prone to exhibit diminished CVR in comparison with control group. Further studies may demonstrate this tendency and its implication in disease severity.