Early Changes in the Locus Coeruleus in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Lewy Bodies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) has been used to evaluate early neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, studies concentrating on the locus coeruleus (LC) in pre-dementia stages of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are lacking.

Objectives

The aims were to evaluate NM-MRI signal changes in the LC in patients with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) compared to healthy controls (HC) and to identify the cognitive correlates of the changes. We also aimed to test the hypothesis of a caudal-rostral α-synuclein pathology spread using NM-MRI of the different LC subparts.

Methods

A total of 38 MCI-LB patients and 59 HCs underwent clinical and cognitive testing and NM-MRI of the LC. We calculated the contrast ratio o

SUBMITTER: Zeleznikova Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11832806 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature