Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings

Background: Cognitive heterogeneity in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains a diagnostic and prognostic challenge, particularly in early stages. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify clinically relevant cognitive subtypes in early PD by integrating neuropsychological profiles with regional...

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Main Authors: Tania Álvarez-Avellón, Carmen Solares, Juan Álvarez-Carriles, Manuel Menéndez-González
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Brain Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/7/751
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author Tania Álvarez-Avellón
Carmen Solares
Juan Álvarez-Carriles
Manuel Menéndez-González
author_facet Tania Álvarez-Avellón
Carmen Solares
Juan Álvarez-Carriles
Manuel Menéndez-González
author_sort Tania Álvarez-Avellón
collection DOAJ
description Background: Cognitive heterogeneity in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains a diagnostic and prognostic challenge, particularly in early stages. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify clinically relevant cognitive subtypes in early PD by integrating neuropsychological profiles with regional brain atrophy assessed via visual MRI scales. Methods: Eighty-one de novo PD patients (≤36 months from diagnosis) and twenty healthy controls underwent 3T MRI with visual atrophy ratings and completed an extensive neuropsychological battery. Results: Using a mixed a priori–a posteriori approach, we defined eight anatomocognitive subtypes reflecting distinct patterns of regional vulnerability: frontosubcortical, posterior cortical, left/right hippocampal, global, and preserved cognition. Specific MRI markers correlated with cognitive deficits in executive, visuospatial, memory, and language domains. Cluster analyses supported subtype validity (AUC range: 0.68–0.95). Conclusions: These results support a practical classification model linking cognitive performance to brain structural changes in early PD. This scalable approach may improve early patient stratification and guide personalized management strategies. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess progression patterns and therapeutic implications.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Brain Sciences
spelling doaj-art-c8a7a7ef6ea7454591dc6fa0c857ddb22025-08-20T03:58:25ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-07-0115775110.3390/brainsci15070751Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI RatingsTania Álvarez-Avellón0Carmen Solares1Juan Álvarez-Carriles2Manuel Menéndez-González3Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33009 Oviedo, SpainInstituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, SpainDepartamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33009 Oviedo, SpainInstituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, SpainBackground: Cognitive heterogeneity in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains a diagnostic and prognostic challenge, particularly in early stages. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify clinically relevant cognitive subtypes in early PD by integrating neuropsychological profiles with regional brain atrophy assessed via visual MRI scales. Methods: Eighty-one de novo PD patients (≤36 months from diagnosis) and twenty healthy controls underwent 3T MRI with visual atrophy ratings and completed an extensive neuropsychological battery. Results: Using a mixed a priori–a posteriori approach, we defined eight anatomocognitive subtypes reflecting distinct patterns of regional vulnerability: frontosubcortical, posterior cortical, left/right hippocampal, global, and preserved cognition. Specific MRI markers correlated with cognitive deficits in executive, visuospatial, memory, and language domains. Cluster analyses supported subtype validity (AUC range: 0.68–0.95). Conclusions: These results support a practical classification model linking cognitive performance to brain structural changes in early PD. This scalable approach may improve early patient stratification and guide personalized management strategies. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess progression patterns and therapeutic implications.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/7/751Parkinson’s diseasecognitive declineneuroanatomystructural MRIvisual atrophy scales
spellingShingle Tania Álvarez-Avellón
Carmen Solares
Juan Álvarez-Carriles
Manuel Menéndez-González
Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
Brain Sciences
Parkinson’s disease
cognitive decline
neuroanatomy
structural MRI
visual atrophy scales
title Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
title_full Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
title_fullStr Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
title_full_unstemmed Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
title_short Subtyping Early Parkinson’s Disease by Mapping Cognitive Profiles to Brain Atrophy with Visual MRI Ratings
title_sort subtyping early parkinson s disease by mapping cognitive profiles to brain atrophy with visual mri ratings
topic Parkinson’s disease
cognitive decline
neuroanatomy
structural MRI
visual atrophy scales
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/7/751
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AT juanalvarezcarriles subtypingearlyparkinsonsdiseasebymappingcognitiveprofilestobrainatrophywithvisualmriratings
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