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11 C-PK11195 PET imaging and white matter changes in Parkinson's disease dementia

Nicolas Nicastro1,2, Ajenthan Surendranathan1, Elijah Mak1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|September 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Microglial activation in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) may preserve cognition and white matter tracts, despite widespread diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) changes correlating with cognitive decline.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by neuroinflammation, indicated by microglial activation.
  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) shows structural brain changes in PD, particularly with dementia.
  • 11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) ligand quantifies in vivo microglial activation.

Observation:

  • A case series of five patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) was analyzed.
  • DTI metrics were assessed for correlation with cognitive severity.
  • 11C-PK11195 binding was evaluated in relation to white matter integrity and cognition.

Findings:

  • DTI metrics demonstrated a clear association with the severity of cognitive impairment in PDD.
  • Higher levels of 11C-PK11195 binding correlated with better preservation of white matter tracts.
  • Elevated microglial activation, measured by 11C-PK11195, was linked to relative cognitive preservation.

Implications:

  • Microglial activation may play a complex, potentially protective role in Parkinson's disease dementia.
  • Further longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the dynamic relationship between neuroinflammation and structural changes.
  • These findings could inform future therapeutic strategies targeting neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.

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