Relationship between freezing of gait in Parkinson disease and locus coeruleus dysfunction: a neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preliminary scientific evidence suggests that freezing of gait (FoG) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is linked to noradrenergic dysfunction in the locus coeruleus (LC). However, definitive findings regarding the correlation between FoG occurrence and the LC are lacking. This study thus aimed to investigate the relationship between the FoG occurrence and LC degeneration in patients with PD by analyzing the signal characteristics of the LC in neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI).

Methods

This study enrolled 22 patients with PD and FoG, 24 patients with PD without FoG, and 13 matched healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and clinical assessments. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of

SUBMITTER: Yang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11744158 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature