BACKGROUND: Although freezing of gait ( @entity6556 ) is a common and disabling symptom in @entity191 ( @entity191 ), the underlying mechanism of @entity6556 has not been clearly elucidated. Using analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we investigated anatomic structures associated with @entity6556 in @entity191 @entity1 . METHODS: We enrolled 33 controls and 42 @entity191 @entity1 (19 @entity1 with @entity6556 and 23 without @entity6556 ). DTI data were compared between @entity191 @entity1 and controls, and also between @entity191 @entity1 with and without @entity6556 . Whole brain voxel-based analysis and regions of interest analysis in the pedunculopontine nucleus were used for DTI analysis. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, @entity191 @entity1 showed microstructural changes in various subcortical structures (substantia nigra, globus pallidum and thalamus), frontal and insula cortex. @entity191 @entity1 with @entity6556 demonstrated altered mean diffusivities in subcortical structures connected with pedunculopontine nucleus, such as basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum in voxel-based analysis. Using region of interest analysis of pedunculopontine nucleus, fractional anisotropy values were reduced and mean diffusivity values were increased bilaterally in @entity191 @entity1 with @entity6556 . In correlation analysis, the fractional anisotropy value of the right pedunculopontine nucleus was moderately correlated with the severity of @entity6556 . CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, microstructural changes of pedunculopontine nucleus and connected subcortical structures are closely related with @entity6556 in @entity191 @entity1 .

Alterations of mean diffusivity of pedunculopontine nucleus pathway in XXXX @entity1 with freezing of gait.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity6556 :: ('161882', 'Gene') :: ['FOG'] @entity191 :: ('MESH:D010300', 'Disease') :: ['PD', "Parkinson's disease"]
@entity191 :: (MESH:D010300,Disease) :: ['Parkinson's disease']
