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Histological Examination of Mitochondrial Morphology in a Parkinson's Disease Model

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Published on: June 23, 2023

Parkinson's disease: diagnosis.

David J Brooks¹

¹Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.

Parkinsonism & Related Disorders

|December 15, 2011

Summary

Diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) early is challenging. Advanced neuroimaging techniques like MRI and PET scans can help differentiate PD from atypical parkinsonian syndromes, improving diagnostic accuracy.

Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Neurology
Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) in early stages is challenging, with community-based diagnoses having a significant error rate.
Established criteria for PD show high accuracy in later stages, but improved methods are needed for early and differential diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of structural and functional neuroimaging in supporting the differential diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonian syndromes.
To highlight advanced imaging techniques for detecting early PD and distinguishing it from conditions like multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Main Methods:

Review of current literature on advanced neuroimaging techniques including 7 tesla MRI, diffusion tensor MRI, magnetisation transfer imaging, transcranial sonography (TCS), PET, and SPECT.

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Discussion of characteristic imaging findings in PD, MSA, and PSP.

Main Results:

In vivo detection of nigral abnormalities is possible with advanced MRI techniques.
TCS identifies midbrain hyperechogenicity in PD.
PET/SPECT ligands reveal dopamine terminal dysfunction in early disease.
Specific MRI findings differentiate MSA (e.g., 'hot cross bun' sign) and PSP (e.g., midbrain atrophy).

Conclusions:

Advanced structural and functional neuroimaging plays a crucial role in improving the accuracy of diagnosing early Parkinson's disease and differentiating it from other parkinsonian syndromes.
Techniques such as MRI, TCS, and PET/SPECT offer valuable insights into the underlying pathology, aiding differential diagnosis.