Mental imagery content is associated with disease severity and specific brain functional connectivity changes in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Mental imagery is the mental re-creation of perceptual experiences, events and scenarios, and motor acts. In our previous study, we assessed whether motor imagery (MI) training combined with functional magnetic resonance imaging-based neurofeedback could improve the motor function of nondemented subjects with mild Parkinson's disease (PD) (N = 22). We used visual imagery (VI) (e.

Neurofeedback-guided kinesthetic motor imagery training in Parkinson's disease: Randomized trial.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) causes difficulty with maintaining the speed, size, and vigor of movements, especially when they are internally generated. We previously proposed that the insula is important in motivating intentional movement via its connections with the dorsomedial frontal cortex (dmFC). We demonstrated that subjects with PD can increase the right insula-dmFC functional connectivity using fMRI-based neurofeedback (NF) combined with kinesthetic motor imagery (MI).

Distinct neural circuits are associated with subclinical neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) can present with neuropsychiatric symptoms (here, anxiety, depression, and apathy) at any stage of the disease. We investigated the neural correlates of subclinical neuropsychiatric symptoms in relation to motor and cognitive symptoms in a high-functioning PD cohort.

Methods: Brain morphometry of the cognitively intact, early-stage (Hoehn & Yahr 2) PD group (n = 48) was compared to matched controls (n = 37).

Goal-directed behavior in individuals with mild Parkinson's disease: Role of self-efficacy and self-regulation.

Introduction: Deficits in goal-directed behavior are common in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and have been ascribed to apathy. In addition to apathy, individuals' beliefs in their competence (self-efficacy) and capacity to regulate emotions, thoughts, and actions (self-regulation) are critical skills for goal-directed behavior. We investigated these skills and their relationship to motor and non-motor symptoms in individuals with PD.