The Role of a Dopamine-Dependent Limbic–Motor Network in Sensory Motor Processing in Parkinson Disease

Abstract Limbic and motor integration is enabled by a mesial temporal to motor cortex network. Parkinson disease (PD) is characterized by a loss of dorsal striatal dopamine but relative preservation of mesolimbic dopamine early in disease, along with changes to motor action control. Here, we studied 47 patients with PD using the Simon conflict task and [18F]fallypride PET imaging. Additionally, a cohort of 16 patients participated in a single-blinded dextroamphetamine (dAMPH) study. Task performance was evaluated using the diffusion model for conflict tasks, which allows for an assessment of interpretable action control processes. First, a voxel-wise examination disclosed a negative relationship, such that longer non-decision time is associated with reduced D2-like binding potential (BPND) in the bilateral putamen, left globus pallidus, and right insula. Second, an ROI analysis revealed a positive relationship, such that shorter non-decision time is associated with reduced D2-like BPND in the amygdala and ventromedial OFC. The difference in non-decision time between off-dAMPH and on-dAMPH trials was positively associated with D2-like BPND in the globus pallidus. These findings support the idea that dysfunction of the traditional striatal–motor loop underlies action control deficits but also suggest that a compensatory parallel limbic–motor loop regulates motor output.