Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disorder, the origin of which remains unclear. The efficacy of treatments is limited due to the small number of remaining neurons. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized clinical neuroimaging. This noninvasive and quantitative method gathers in vivo microstructural information to characterize pathological processes that modify nervous tissue integrity. The changes in signal intensity result from the motion of the water molecules; they can be quantified by diffusivity measures. Diffusion MRI has revealed “biomarkers” in several brain regions that could be useful for PD diagnosis. These regions include the olfactory tracts, putamen, white matter, superior cerebellar peduncles, middle cerebellar peduncle, pons, cerebellum, and substantia nigra. There are encouraging preliminary data that differentiate PD from atypical parkinsonian diseases based on these microstructural changes.