A voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging analysis of asymptomatic Parkinson's disease-related G2019S LRRK2 mutation carriers.
BACKGROUND
Patients with Parkinson's disease have reduced gray matter volume and fractional anisotropy in both cortical and sub-cortical structures, yet changes in the pre-motor phase of the disease are unknown.


METHODS
A comprehensive imaging study using voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging tract-based spatial statistics analysis was performed on 64 Ashkenazi Jewish asymptomatic first degree relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease (30 mutation carriers), who carry the G2019S mutation in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene.


RESULTS
No between-group differences in gray matter volume could be noted in either whole-brain or volume-of-interest analysis. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis did not identify group differences in white matter areas, and volume-of-interest analysis identified no differences in diffusivity parameters in Parkinson's disease-related structures.


CONCLUSIONS
G2019S carriers do not manifest changes in gray matter volume or diffusivity parameters in Parkinson's disease-related structures prior to the appearance of motor symptoms.
Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Avner
A
Thaler
Moran
M
Artzi
Anat
A
Mirelman
Yael
Y
Jacob
Rick C
RC
Helmich
Bart F L
BF
van Nuenen
Tanya
T
Gurevich
Avi
A
Orr-Urtreger
Karen
K
Marder
Susan
S
Bressman
Bastiaan R
BR
Bloem
Talma
T
Hendler
Nir
N
Giladi
Dafna
D
Ben Bashat
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D012694:Serine / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D012694:Serine; C495280:LRRK2 protein, human; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D005998:Glycine
G2019S; LRRK2; Parkinson's disease; diffusion tensor imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; voxel-based morphometry