A robust method for the detection of small changes in relaxation parameters and free water content in the vicinity of the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease patients
PLoS ONE, vol. 16, pp. e0247552
Abstract
Alterations in the substantia nigra are strongly associated with Parkinson's disease. However, due to low contrast and partial volume effects present in typical MRI images, the substantia nigra is not of sufficient size to obtain a reliable segmentation for region-of-interest based analysis. To combat this problem, the approach proposed here offers a method to investigate and reveal changes in quantitative MRI parameters in the vicinity of substantia nigra without any a priori delineation. This approach uses an alternative method of statistical, voxel-based analysis of quantitative maps and was tested on 18 patients and 15 healthy controls using a well-established, quantitative free water mapping protocol. It was possible to reveal the topology and the location of pathological changes in the substantia nigra and its vicinity. Moreover, a decrease in free water content, T1 and T2* in the vicinity of substantia nigra was indicated in the Parkinson's disease patients compared to the healthy controls. These findings reflect a disruption of grey matter and iron accumulation, which is known to lead to neurodegeneration. Consequently, the proposed method demonstrates an increased sensitivity for the detection of pathological changes-even in small regions-and can facilitate disease monitoring via quantitative MR parameters.
Authors 6
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4 (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4 (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4 (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 11 (INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4 (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-BRAIN)-Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-BRAIN)—Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany
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