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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging changes in early Parkinson's disease: ICICLE-PD study.
Thais Minett1,2, Li Su3,4, Elijah Mak3
1Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. thaisminett@hotmail.com.
Journal of Neurology
|April 27, 2018
Summary
White matter changes, specifically mean diffusivity, predict motor decline in Parkinson's disease (PD). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can help track cognitive function and motor impairment in PD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and cognitive impairments.
- White matter microstructural integrity is crucial for cognitive and motor function.
- Longitudinal changes in white matter may reflect disease progression in PD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if white matter microstructural changes predict motor worsening or cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- To compare longitudinal white matter changes between PD patients with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Main Methods:
- 120 early-stage PD patients (27 with MCI, 93 with normal cognition) and 48 controls underwent cognitive, motor, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) assessments at baseline and 18 months.
- Relationships between fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity (MD) with cognitive and motor function were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Early PD patients showed higher widespread MD than controls.
- In PD patients with MCI, higher MD correlated with poorer attention and executive function.
- Frontal MD increased significantly over 18 months in PD patients with MCI compared to those with normal cognition.
- Baseline MD predicted motor feature worsening in PD.
Conclusions:
- Mean diffusivity (MD) is a significant correlate of cognitive function and predictor of motor impairment in Parkinson's disease.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may aid in stratifying PD patients for clinical trials and monitoring treatment effects on motor function.
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