New DelhiA study has suggested that treatments for Parkinson's disease could potentially be doubly efficacious by targeting a brain network linking cognition and action, rather than brain regions responsible for movements.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition affecting movements, sleep, motivation and thought processes. Common symptoms include tremors, stiffness and walking difficulties.

Researchers, led by those from China's Peking University and Washington University in St. Louis in the US, analysed data gathered from 863 people with Parkinson's disease receiving treatments shown in previous studies to improve symptoms, including deep brain stimulation and medication.

Deep brain stimulation involves sending electrical signals to a specific brain area via surgically implanted electrodes.

Findings published in the journal Nature show that brain regions commonly affected in Parkinson's disease connect more strongly to the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN), identified as a brain network in recent years for linking cognition with movement and bodily state.

The connection was found to be increased in Parkinson's disease but not in other disorders affecting movements, the researchers said.

The treatments analysed were found to reduce this SCAN hyperconnectivity, bringing it closer to levels seen in healthy volunteers, they said.

Source:Ndtv