Women show Less brain Atrophy in Early Parkinson’s Marker

A large international study involving nearly 700 participants reveals that women with a precursor condition to Parkinson’s disease show significantly less brain atrophy-decreased cortical thickness in the brain-than men, despite similar clinical severity. This discovery,published in the journal Nature Communications, could lead scientists to explore the role that hormones might play in treating the disease.

An Early Marker of Parkinson’s Disease

Isolated REM sleep behavior disorder is characterized by violent movements during sleep, where people literally “act out” their dreams. Far from being harmless, this disorder is the most reliable early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases caused by the accumulation of a toxic protein in the brain: more than 70% of affected individuals will eventually develop Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, or, more rarely, multiple system atrophy (a disease affecting multiple body systems).

This sleep disorder offers a unique window of possibility to study the mechanisms of neurodegeneration before major motor or cognitive symptoms appear.

Shady Rahayel, professor at UdeM’s Faculty of Medicine and leader of the study

Remarkable Brain Protection in Women

The research team analyzed 888 brain scans from nine international centers in Canada, the czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.

after rigorous quality control,687 participants were included in the final analysis: 343 patients with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder-or iRBD-and 344 healthy individuals.

The results are striking: while 37% of cortical areas showed atrophy in men with iRBD, only 18% did in women with the same condition. This difference remained significant even after accounting for age,genetic factors,and other potential confounding variables.

“We found that women with iRBD had significantly better preservation of cortical thickness than men, despite having a similar clinical presentation,” explained Rahayel. “This suggests that women may have a natural protective mechanism against neurodegeneration.”

Hormonal Influence?

The researchers hypothesize that hormones, particularly estrogen, may be responsible for this protective effect. Estrogen is known to have neuroprotective properties and may help to shield brain cells from damage.

“Further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis and to determine whether hormone therapy could be a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease,” saeid Rahayel. “However, our findings suggest that exploring the role of hormones in neurodegeneration is a promising avenue for future research.”

Key Takeaways:

• Women with iRBD show significantly less brain atrophy than men with the same condition.
• This difference suggests a potential natural protective mechanism in women.
• Hormones, particularly estrogen, are hypothesized to play a role in this protection.
• Further research is needed to explore hormone therapy as a potential Parkinson’s treatment.

Source: University of Montreal. “Women show less brain atrophy in early marker of Parkinson’s disease.” https://www.umontreal.ca/en/news/women-show-less-brain-atrophy-in-early-marker-of-parkinsons-disease.html