Parkinson’s Disease Diagnostics. Part 2. Structural Neuroimaging

Abstract

Objective of the Review: To describe available methods of structural neuroimaging in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Key Points. PD is the second neurodegenerative disease in terms of prevalence; it is a significant medical, social and economic issue. Early diagnosis is the most promising method for the implementation of neuroprotective strategies and preventive therapy in PD. However, differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes is one of the most complicated in neurology. The article describes use of methods of structural neuroimaging in PD diagnostics, in particular of MRI images weighed by magnetic susceptibility, MRI with Т1-weighed images, transcranial sonography. It is demonstrated that these methods can be efficient in patients at an early full-fledged PD stage, where differential diagnosis has to be made or confirmed. Conclusion. Modern methods of structural neuroimaging help not only prevent the causes of secondary parkinsonism, but also confirm PD, also at an early stage of the disease. Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, neuroimaging magnetic-resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, SPECT-imaging, transcranial sonography.