Project 2 – Dr. Virendra Mishra
Freezing of Gait (FOG) in Parkinson's Disease (PD)
![](https://i0.wp.com/nevadacntn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Virendra-Mishra-PhD.png?resize=1080%2C1350&ssl=1)
Virendra Mishra, PhD
Specific Aims:
Identify the structural and functional brain connectivity patterns in PD-FOG, PD-nFOG, and HC, and evaluate progression of FOG by:
- Comparing the structural and functional connectivity brain patterns, both at baseline and longitudinally, between the FOG and nFOG PD subgroups;
- Develop an unbiased estimator of tract-specific diffusion-derived measures and the fractional contribution of free-water (fiso) using a multi-shell high angular and spatial resolution diffusion MRI (dMRI), and further comparing these novel diffusion-derived voxelwise measures between the two groups to understand disease pathophysiology and progression;
- Investigate the effect of levodopa on functional connectivity pattern in the PD subgroups; and
- Combine the novel dMRI-derived measures with conventional structural MRI and resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) connectivity measures, and generate a subject-level score that is predictive of FOG progression.
Establish a correlation between the multimodal MRI-derived measures and neuropsychological profile in each PD subgroup by:
- Correlating the MRI-derived measures with neuropsychological assessments and clinical diagnostic tests within each PD subgroups;
- Investigating the rs-fMRI connectivity brain patterns, and the association of these patterns with reference to changes in the neuropsychological profile with and without dopaminergic medication; and
- Understanding the global shift in the correlation of network connectivity patterns with the neuropsychological profile within each of the PD subgroups.
Internal Mentor
![](https://i0.wp.com/nevadacntn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dietmarcordes.jpg?resize=1080%2C1350&ssl=1)
Dietmar Cordes, PhD
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
![](https://i0.wp.com/nevadacntn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Dr.Cummings.png?resize=600%2C900&ssl=1)
Jeffrey L. Cummings, MD, ScD
Associate director of the Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience
Associate director of the Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience
External Mentor
![Irene Litvan, MD Irene Litvan, MD](https://i0.wp.com/nevadacntn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Irene-Litvan.png?resize=247%2C300&ssl=1)
Irene Litvan, MD
Tasch Endowed Professor in Parkinson’s Disease Research
Tasch Endowed Professor in Parkinson’s Disease Research