Objective: We aimed to investigate whether speech difficulties are associated with changes in cortical thickness.

Background: Speech difficulties are a common debilitating feature of Parkinson’s disease but is unclear which neuronal networks are involved.

Method: Using the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative database, 143 early de novo Parkinson’s disease patients with speech difficulties were identified and matched 1:1 for age, disease duration and motor symptom severity with 143 early de novo Parkinson’s disease patients without speech difficulties. Differences in cortical thickness between patients with and without speech difficulties were investigated. Speech difficulties were identified using the UPDRS PART 3, ITEM 3.1. Vertex-by-vertex whole brain estimates of cortical thickness were automatically calculated using FreeSurfer. Differences in cortical thickness were determined using a general linear model design.

Results: Early de novo Parkinson’s disease patients with speech difficulties had significantly lower cortical thickness in the lingual (P=0.003) gyrus, compared to those without speech difficulties. Worse speech difficulties were correlated with lower cortical thickness in the lingual gyrus (r=0.479, P<0.05).

Conclusion: Speech difficulties in early de novo Parkinson’s disease are associated with changes in cortical thickness in the lingual gyrus. This area plays an important role in identification and recognition of words as well as in semantic processing. Cortical thinning of the lingual gyrus might lead to speech difficulties in Parkinson’s disease. *This abstract was also submitted for presentation at the 2019 European Academy of Neurology conference

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/neuronal-network-underlying-speech-difficulties-in-parkinsons-disease/