Tracking Genetic Parkinson's Disease with Molecular Imaging: A Systematic Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a worldwide, complex neurodegenerative disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Around 15-20% of PD cases are linked to genetic mutations, providing insights into the disease's pathogenesis.

The current review aims to summarize molecular neuroimaging findings in genetic forms of PD, also considering the pre-symptomatic phase of the disease to identify markers distinguishing genetic PD from sporadic forms of the disease as well as early markers of disease conversion.

A literature search on PubMed and Scopus was performed to identify molecular imaging studies on symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of the following PD-related mutations: SNCA, PRKN, PINK1, PARK7, LRRK2 and GBA1.

A total of 96 studies were summarized to highlight mutation-specific brain alterations, considering dopaminergic and extra-dopaminergic systems (serotonin, acetylcholine), metabolic and cerebral blood flow alterations as well as emerging evidence on beta-amyloid, tau proteins and neuroinflammation.

Molecular neuroimaging techniques, including Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission computed tomography (SPECT), provide valuable tools for tracking PD pathophysiology in vivo. Indeed, nuclear imaging is able to add information on genetic PD, offering possible biomarkers to stratify patients, predict cognitive decline, and support personalized therapeutic approaches.