BACKGROUND: Combination of structural and functional data of the @entity1 brain can provide detailed information of @entity179 and the influence of the disease on various local cortical areas. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To examine the relationship between structure and function of the brain the cortical thickness based on structural magnetic resonance images and motor cortex @entity2146 assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation were correlated in @entity195 ( @entity195 ) and @entity73 ( @entity73 ) @entity1 as well as in age-matched healthy controls. Motor cortex @entity2146 correlated negatively with cortical thickness on the sensorimotor cortex, the precuneus and the cuneus but the strength of the correlation varied between the study groups. On the sensorimotor cortex the correlation was significant only in @entity73 subjects. On the precuneus and cuneus the correlation was significant both in @entity195 and @entity73 subjects. In healthy controls the motor cortex @entity2146 did not correlate with the cortical thickness. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy subjects the motor cortex @entity2146 is not dependent on the cortical thickness, whereas in @entity179 the cortical thinning is related to weaker cortical @entity2146 , especially on the precuneus and cuneus. However, in @entity195 subjects there seems to be a protective mechanism of hyperexcitability on the sensorimotor cortex counteracting the prominent loss of cortical volume since the motor cortex @entity2146 did not correlate with the cortical thickness. Such protective mechanism was not found on the precuneus or cuneus nor in the @entity73 subjects. Therefore, our results indicate that the progression of the disease proceeds with different dynamics in the structure and function of neuronal circuits from normal conditions via @entity73 to @entity195 .

New insights into XXXX progression: a combined TMS and structural MRI study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human', 'patients'] @entity73 :: ('MESH:D003072', 'Disease') :: ['MCI', 'mild cognitive impairment'] @entity2146 :: ('MESH:D011595', 'Disease') :: ['excitability'] @entity179 :: ('MESH:D019636', 'Disease') :: ['neurodegenerative diseases'] @entity195 :: ('MESH:D000544', 'Disease') :: ['AD', "Alzheimer's disease"]
@entity195 :: (MESH:D000544,Disease) :: ['Alzheimer's disease']
