Aberrant nigral diffusion in Parkinson's disease: A longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study.
Measuring microstructure alterations with diffusion tensor imaging in PD is potentially a valuable tool to use as a biomarker for early diagnosis and to track disease progression. Previous studies have reported a specific decrease of nigral fractional anisotropy in PD. However, to date the effect of disease progression on nigral or striatal diffusion indices has not been fully explored.



We have conducted a cross-sectional and longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study in 18 early stage, treated PD patients and 14 age-matched controls. PD patients were scanned on 2 occasions OFF medication, 19.3 months apart (standard deviation = 3.1 months). Longitudinal change of regional nigral and striatal measures of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were calculated using a region-of-interest approach.



Region-of-interest analysis demonstrated that at baseline, PD patients and controls did not differ in regard to diffusion indices in any region assessed. A significant difference of nigral fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity between controls and PD patients at follow-up was detected and confirmed with longitudinal analysis within PD patients. Alterations in striatal regions were not detected in either group or over time.



Our findings indicate that nigral diffusion measure may be a valuable measure of disease progression. In the future, larger longitudinal studies will confirm whether diffusion indices may serve as sensitive and clinically meaningful measures of disease progression in PD. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Neurology Imaging Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.|Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK.|Memory Research Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Clare
C
Loane
Neurology Imaging Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.|Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK.
Marios
M
Politis
Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, England.
Zinovia
Z
Kefalopoulou
John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Natalie
N
Valle-Guzman
Translational Neurology Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Gesine
G
Paul
Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Sweden.
Hakan
H
Widner
Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, England.
Thomas
T
Foltynie
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.|MRC Cognition and Brian Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Roger A
RA
Barker
Neurology Imaging Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Paola
P
Piccini
D000368:Aged; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
DTI; FA; MD; Parkinson's disease