Thalamic volume links milder symptoms but faster dopaminergic decline in prodromal Parkinson disease

Abstract Background: Biological changes such as α-synuclein deposits and brain structural changes related to Parkinson’s disease (PD) may precede both clinical diagnosis and dopaminergic dysfunction. However,whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived structural features are associated with clinical burden and can predict subsequent dopaminergic changes remains unclear.