title: Enlarged substantia nigra hyperechogenicity and risk for Parkinson disease: a 37-month 3-center study of 1847 older persons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether enlarged substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (SN+) is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson disease (PD) in a healthy elderly population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal 3-center observational study with 37 months of prospective follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals 50 years or older without evidence of PD or any other neurodegenerative disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 1847 participants who underwent a full medical history, neurological assessment, and transcranial sonography at baseline, 1535 could undergo reassessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of new-onset PD in relation to baseline transcranial sonography status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 11 cases of incident PD during the follow-up period. In participants with SN+ at baseline, the relative risk for incident PD was 17.37 (95% confidence interval, 3.71-81.34) times higher compared with normoechogenic participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this prospective study, we demonstrate for the first time a highly increased risk for PD in elderly individuals with SN+. Transcranial sonography of the midbrain may therefore be a promising primary screening procedure to define a risk population for imminent PD.
authors: Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. daniela.berg@uni-tuebingen.de
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Berg
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Seppi
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Behnke
authors: Inga
authors: I
authors: Liepelt
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Schweitzer
authors: Heike
authors: H
authors: Stockner
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Wollenweber
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Gaenslen
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Mahlknecht
authors: Jörg
authors: J
authors: Spiegel
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Godau
authors: Heiko
authors: H
authors: Huber
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Srulijes
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Kiechl
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Bentele
authors: Arno
authors: A
authors: Gasperi
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Schubert
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Hiry
authors: Mareike
authors: M
authors: Probst
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Schneider
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Klenk
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Sawires
authors: Johann
authors: J
authors: Willeit
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Maetzler
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Fassbender
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Gasser
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Poewe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods