M. Hutchinson et U. Raff, Parkinson's disease: a novel MRI method for determining structural changesin the substantia nigra, J NE NE PSY, 67(6), 1999, pp. 815-818
Objectives-To use MRI in a novel way to image and quantify the changes occu
rring in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease.
Methods-Six patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were compared with
six age matched control subjects. The subjects were imaged using a combina
tion of pulse sequences hypothesised to be sensitive to cell loss.
Results-The images showed patterns of change in patients with Parkinson's d
isease. Highly significant differences between the patients and control pop
ulation were found (p < 0.001).
Conclusions-This methodology suggests the possibility of detecting presympt
omatic disease in those judged to be at risk, and also in confirming the di
agnosis in patients with early disease. Furthermore, the technique seems to
hold promise as a means for staging the disease, and possibly differentiat
ing other forms of parkinsonism.