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Updated: Dec 12, 2025
Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
A pilot study of magnetic resonance fingerprinting in Parkinson's disease
Vera Catharina Keil1,2, Stilyana Peteva Bakoeva1,3, Alina Jurcoane1,4
1Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease (PD) affects more than six million people, but reliable MRI biomarkers with which to diagnose patients have not been established. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a recent quantitative technique that can provide relaxometric maps from a single sequence. The purpose of this study is to assess the potential of MRF to identify PD in patients and their disease severity, as well as to evaluate comfort during MRF. Twenty-five PD patients and 25 matching controls underwent 3 T MRI, including an axial 2D spoiled gradient echo MRF sequence. T1 and T2 maps were generated by voxel-wise matching the measured MRF signal to a precomputed dictionary. All participants also received standard inversion recovery T1 and multi-echo T2 mapping. An ROI-based analysis of relaxation times was performed. Differences between patients and controls as well as techniques were determined by logistic regression, Spearman correlation and t-test. Patients were asked to estimate the subjective comfort of the MRF sequence. Both MRF-based T1 and T2 mapping discriminated patients from controls: T1 relaxation times differed most in cortical grey matter (PD 1337 ± 38 vs. control 1386 ± 37 ms; mean ± SD; P = .0001) and, in combination with normal-appearing white matter, enabled correct discrimination in 85.7% of cases (sensitivity 83.3%; specificity 88.0%; receiver-operating characteristic [ROC]) area under the curve [AUC] 0.87), while for T2 mapping the left putamen was the strongest classifier (40.54 ± 6.28 vs. 34.17 ± 4.96 ms; P = .0001), enabling differentiation of groups in 84.0% of all cases (sensitivity 80.0%; specificity 88.0%; ROC AUC 0.87). Relaxation time differences were not associated with disease severity. Standard mapping techniques generated significantly different relaxation time values and identified other structures as different between groups other than MRF. Twenty-three out of 25 PD patients preferred the MRF examination instead of a standard MRI. MRF-based mapping can identify PD patients with good comfort but needs further assessment regarding disease severity identification and its potential for comparability with standard mapping technique results.
Insights
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) shows promise for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) by identifying differences in brain relaxation times. While MRF comfortably distinguishes PD patients from controls, it requires further study for disease severity assessment and comparison with standard MRI techniques.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Quantitative MRI
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions globally, yet lacks established MRI diagnostic biomarkers.
- Quantitative MRI techniques are crucial for objective disease assessment.
- Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) offers a novel approach for rapid, quantitative relaxometric mapping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of MRF in differentiating Parkinson's disease patients from healthy controls.
- To assess the correlation between MRF-derived relaxation times and PD disease severity.
- To investigate patient comfort levels during MRF examinations compared to standard MRI sequences.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-five PD patients and 25 controls underwent 3T MRI using an axial 2D spoiled gradient echo MRF sequence.
- T1 and T2 relaxation maps were generated via voxel-wise signal matching to a precomputed dictionary.
- Standard inversion recovery T1 and multi-echo T2 mapping were performed for comparison; ROI-based analysis and statistical tests were applied.
Main Results:
- MRF-based T1 mapping showed significant differences in cortical grey matter (P = .0001) and T2 mapping in the left putamen (P = .0001), effectively discriminating PD patients.
- Combined MRF T1 and white matter data achieved 85.7% discrimination accuracy (AUC 0.87); T2 mapping achieved 84.0% (AUC 0.87).
- No significant association was found between relaxation time differences and PD severity. Twenty-three of 25 PD patients preferred MRF over standard MRI.
Conclusions:
- MRF-based T1 and T2 mapping can effectively differentiate Parkinson's disease patients from controls with high accuracy and patient comfort.
- MRF demonstrates potential as a diagnostic tool for PD, though further research is needed for disease severity assessment and standardization.
- Comparisons with standard mapping techniques revealed discrepancies, highlighting the need for further validation of MRF's quantitative comparability.
