Potential of Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Relaxometry for the Detection of Specific Pathological Alterations in Parkinson's Disease (PD).

ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential of multimodal MR imaging including mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), relaxation rates R2 and R2* to detect disease specific alterations in Parkinson's Disease (PD). We enrolled 82 PD patients (PD-all) with varying disease durations (≤5 years: PD≤5, n = 43; >5 years: PD>5, n = 39) and 38 matched healthy controls (HC), receiving diffusion tensor imaging as well as R2 and R2* relaxometry calculated from multi-echo T2*-weighted and dual-echo TSE imaging, respectively. ROIs were drawn to delineate caudate nucleus (CN), putamen (PU), globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra (SN) on the co-registered maps. The SN was divided in 3 descending levels (SL 1-3). The most significant parameters were used for a flexible dis

SUBMITTER: Esterhammer R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4705111 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature