Neuromelanin Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Parkinson's Disease and Multiple System Atrophy

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 70-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keita Matsuura ◽  
Masayuki Maeda ◽  
Kenichiro Yata ◽  
Yoshito Ichiba ◽  
Tomoya Yamaguchi ◽  
...  
2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Felipe Rocha Vasconcellos ◽  
Sergio A. Pereira Novis ◽  
Denise Madeira Moreira ◽  
Ana Lucia Z. Rosso ◽  
Ana Claudia C.B. Leite

The differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism based on clinical features, sometimes may be difficult. Diagnostic tests in these cases might be useful, especially magnetic resonance imaging, a noninvasive exam, not as expensive as positron emission tomography, and provides a good basis for anatomical analysis. The magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyzes cerebral metabolism, yielding inconsistent results in parkinsonian disorders. We selected 40 individuals for magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy analysis, 12 with Parkinson's disease, 11 with progressive supranuclear palsy, 7 with multiple system atrophy (parkinsonian type), and 10 individuals without any psychiatric or neurological disorders (controls). Clinical scales included Hoenh and Yahr, unified Parkinson's disease rating scale and mini mental status examination. The results showed that patients with Parkinson's disease and controls presented the same aspects on neuroimaging, with few or absence of abnormalities, and supranuclear progressive palsy and multiple system atrophy showed abnormalities, some of which statistically significant. Thus, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy could be useful as a tool in differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Moiron Simões ◽  
Ana Castro Caldas ◽  
Joana Grilo ◽  
Daisy Correia ◽  
Carla Guerreiro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder frequently misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. No early imaging biomarkers currently differentiate these disorders. Methods Simple visual imaging analysis of the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus in neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging and nigrosome 1 in susceptibility-weighted sequences was performed in thirty patients with parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy fulfilling possible/probable second consensus diagnostic criteria. The neuromelanin visual pattern was compared to patients with Parkinson’s disease with the same disease duration (n = 10) and healthy controls (n = 10). Substantia nigra semi-automated neuromelanin area/signal intensity was compared to the visual data. Results Groups were similar in age, sex, disease duration, and levodopa equivalent dose. Hoehn & Yahr stage was higher in parkinsonian multiple system atrophy patients, 69% of whom had normal neuromelanin size/signal, significantly different from Parkinson’s disease patients, and similar to controls. Nigrosome 1 signal was lost in 74% of parkinsonian multiple system atrophy patients. Semi-automated neuromelanin substantia nigra signal, but not area, measurements were able to differentiate groups. Conclusions In patients with parkinsonism, simple visual magnetic resonance imaging analysis showing normal neuromelanin substantia nigra and locus coeruleus, combined with nigrosome 1 loss, allowed the distinction of the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy from Parkinson’s disease and healthy controls. This easy and widely available method was superior to semi-automated measurements in identifying specific imaging changes in substantia nigra and locus coeruleus.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangwoo Kim ◽  
Youngjeon Lee ◽  
Chang-Yeop Jeon ◽  
Yeung Bae Jin ◽  
Sukhoon Oh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although the thalamus is known to modulate basal ganglia function related to motor control activity, the abnormal changes within the thalamus during distinct medical complications have been scarcely investigated. In order to explore the feasibility of assessing iron accumulation in the thalamus as an informative biomarker for Parkinson’s disease (PD), this study was designed to employ quantitative susceptibility mapping using a 7 T magnetic resonance imaging system in cynomolgus monkeys. A 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-injected cynomolgus monkey and a healthy control (HC) were examined by 7 T magnetic resonance imaging. Positron emission tomography with 18F-N-(3-fluoro propyl)-2ß-carboxymethoxy-3ß-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane was also employed to identify the relationship between iron deposits and dopamine depletion. All acquired values were averaged within the volume of interest of the nigrostriatal pathway. Findings Compared with the HC, the overall elevation of iron deposition within the thalamus in the Parkinson’s disease model (about 53.81% increase) was similar to that in the substantia nigra (54.81%) region. Substantial susceptibility changes were observed in the intralaminar part of the thalamus (about 70.78% increase). Additionally, we observed that in the Parkinson’s disease model, binding potential values obtained from positron emission tomography were considerably decreased in the thalamus (97.51%) and substantia nigra (92.48%). Conclusions The increased iron deposition in the thalamus showed negative correlation with dopaminergic activity in PD, supporting the idea that iron accumulation affects glutaminergic inputs and dopaminergic neurons. This investigation indicates that the remarkable susceptibility changes in the thalamus could be an initial major diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson’s disease-related motor symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 205846012098809
Author(s):  
Byeong H Oh ◽  
Hyeong C Moon ◽  
Aryun Kim ◽  
Hyeon J Kim ◽  
Chae J Cheong ◽  
...  

Background The pathology of Parkinson’s disease leads to morphological changes in brain structure. Currently, the progressive changes in gray matter volume that occur with time and are specific to patients with Parkinson’s disease, compared to healthy controls, remain unclear. High-tesla magnetic resonance imaging might be useful in differentiating neurological disorders by brain cortical changes. Purpose We aimed to investigate patterns in gray matter changes in patients with Parkinson’s disease by using an automated segmentation method with 7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Material and Methods High-resolution T1-weighted 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging volumes of 24 hemispheres were acquired from 12 Parkinson’s disease patients and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls with median ages of 64.5 (range, 41–82) years and 60.5 (range, 25–74) years, respectively. Subgroup analysis was performed according to whether axial motor symptoms were present in the Parkinson’s disease patients. Cortical volume, cortical thickness, and subcortical volume were measured using a high-resolution image processing technique based on the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville atlas and an automated segmentation method (FreeSurfer version 6.0). Results After cortical reconstruction, in 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging volume segmental analysis, compared with the healthy controls, the Parkinson’s disease patients showed global cortical atrophy, mostly in the prefrontal area (rostral middle frontal, superior frontal, inferior parietal lobule, medial orbitofrontal, rostral anterior cingulate area), and subcortical volume atrophy in limbic/paralimbic areas (fusiform, hippocampus, amygdala). Conclusion We first demonstrated that 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging detects structural abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease patients compared to healthy controls using an automated segmentation method. Compared with the healthy controls, the Parkinson’s disease patients showed global prefrontal cortical atrophy and hippocampal area atrophy.


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