Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor indices in the brain in patients with Parkinson's disease
Kaiyuan Zhang1, Chunshui Yu, Yujin Zhang
1Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China. kaiyuanzhang@yahoo.cn
Purpose:
To investigate the abnormal diffusion in cerebral white matter and its relationship with the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Materials And Methods:
Diffusion tensor imaging of the cerebrum was performed in 25 patients with Parkinson's disease and 25 control subjects matched for age and sex. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between these two groups were studied by voxel-based analysis of the DTI data. Correlations between diffusion indices and the olfactory function in PD patients were evaluated using the multiple regression model after controlling for the duration of the disease, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Sale (UPDRS), and age.
Results:
The damaged white and gray matter showed decreased FA or increased MD, localized bilaterally in the cerebellar and orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, in PD patients there was a positive correlation between FA values in the white matter of the left cerebellum and the thresholds of olfactory identification (TOI) and a negative correlation between MD values in the white matter of right cerebellum and the TOI.
Conclusion:
In patients with PD, there was disruption in the cerebellar white matter which may play an important role in the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Neural Regulation
Assessment of Diffusion and Perfusion
The Role of Diffusion in Respiration
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In the respiratory system, this principle...

