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MRI assessment of basal ganglia iron deposition in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Wallis Lauren I.,
Paley Martyn N.J.,
Graham Jacqueline M.,
Grünewald Richard A.,
Wignall Emma L.,
Joy Harriet M.,
Griffiths Paul D.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.21563
Subject(s) - basal ganglia , parkinson's disease , medicine , pathology , basal ganglia disease , deposition (geology) , disease , biology , central nervous system , paleontology , sediment
Purpose To estimate the levels of basal ganglia iron levels in Parkinson's disease (PD) using the PRIME MR sequence at 3.0 Tesla, in relation to patients' motor symptom severity. Materials and Methods Seventy patients with PD and 10 healthy controls underwent assessment of movement and MR imaging. Mean R 2 ′ relaxation rates were recorded in the substantia nigra, frontal white matter and in the rostral, mid, and caudal putamen. Results R 2 ′ relaxation rates were significantly higher in patients with PD than in healthy controls. R 2 ′ in the most affected substantia nigra correlated with PD patients' motor symptom severity, but not with disease duration. Neuroradiological observation revealed a rostral to caudal “gradient” of putaminal hypointensity. This was substantiated by the finding that the mid and caudal putamen showed significantly higher R 2 ′ relaxation rates, consistent with higher iron levels in PD relative to the healthy controls. Conclusion MRI at 3.0 Tesla suggests that substantia nigra iron levels are increased and linked to the severity of motor symptoms experienced in PD. Findings consistent with increased iron levels in the PD putamen are shown, in a region‐specific rostral to caudal gradient. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:1061–1067. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.