Spatial representation of the statistically significant changes in deformations of the Hippocampus, Caudate, Putamen and Midbrain after 24 months from the baseline visit for PD subjects. While the Hippocampus and Putamen show almost no statistically significant changes over time, the Caudate and particularly the Midbrain show changes in both inward and outward along the surface normal.
Very few to none statistically significant clusters were detected for the longitudinal effects of the Hippocampus and Putamen surface deformations at 24 months in the PD group.
In contrast, the Caudate and the Midbrain revealed clusters of statistically significant changes in both positive and negative directions. These are typical examples where local deformations over time occurred in both inward and outward directions along the surface normal, revealing subtle morphological changes that does not affect the overall volume of the anatomical structure. The positive sign changes in deformation might be simply reflecting either an intrinsic compensatory mechanism or an anatomical “pushing” effect produced by inward deformation in neighbor structures.