The SCAN Network: A New Paradigm for Understanding and Treating Parkinson’s Disease

Wisdom LakeAcademy of Pharmacy Department, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 215100 Suzhou, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by dopaminergic neuron loss and α-synuclein aggregation, resulting in both motor and non-motor symptoms. The traditional basal ganglia–thalamocortical loop model explains motor dysfunction but cannot account for key clinical features such as cognitive–motor dissociation, freezing of gait, and variability in treatment response. Recent advances in neuroimaging and network neuroscience have shifted focus toward large-scale brain network dysfunction, revealing widespread alterations in connectivity and information processing in PD. The Somatic-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN), recently identified as linking movement and cognition, offers a novel framework to address these limitations. This review summarizes emerging evidence on network-level mechanisms in PD, highlights the role of SCAN, and discusses current research gaps and implications for improved diagnosis and neuromodulation therapies.