[Magnetic resonance tomography of the brain in Parkinson's disease]

Because cerebral atrophy and white substance of the cerebral hemispheres became typical findings at NMR-tomography of the brain in Parkinson's disease, the authors initiated a study to quantify the observed defects. A combination of neurological, neuropsychological and NMR-tomography methods with addition of formalized scales has been utilized. The severity of cerebral atrophy and that of neurological and psychic disorders were related. Internal atrophy was more frequently observed in older patients, the external one was more characteristic for patients with systemic atherosclerosis. Multiple focal lesions of the white substance were encountered in associated arterial hypertension and was present in all the patients with distinct cerebral atrophy. Diffuse lesions of the white substance (leukareosis) showed no relationship to any of the factors studied.