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Direct visualization of Parkinson's disease by in vivo human brain imaging using 7.0T magnetic resonance imaging
Author(s) -
Cho ZangHee,
Oh SeHong,
Kim JongMin,
Park SungYeon,
Kwon DaeHyuk,
Jeong HyeJin,
Kim YoungBo,
Chi JeGeun,
Park ChanWoong,
Huston John,
Lee Kendall H.,
Jeon Beom S.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.23465
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , substantia nigra , parkinson's disease , pars compacta , correlation , dopaminergic , neuroscience , medicine , psychology , pathology , radiology , disease , dopamine , geometry , mathematics
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta. Therefore, imaging of the SN has been regarded to hold greatest potential for use in the diagnosis of PD. At the 7.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is now possible to delineate clearly the shapes and boundaries of the SN. We scanned eight early and two advanced PD patients, along with nine age‐matched control subjects, using a 7.0T MRI in an attempt to directly visualize the SN and quantify the differences in shape and boundaries of SN between PD subjects in comparison with the normal control subjects. In the normal controls, the boundaries between the SN and crus cerebri appear smooth, and clean “arch” shapes that stretch ventrally from posterior to anterior. In contrast, these smooth and clean arch‐like boundaries were lost in PD subjects. The measured correlation analyses show that, in PD patients, there is age‐dependent correlation and substantially stronger UPDRS motor score‐dependent correlation. These results suggest that, by using 7.0T MRI, it appears possible to use these visible and distinctive changes in morphology as a diagnostic marker of PD. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society