Neuromelanin Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra in Huntington’s Disease

Leitão, R.A.; Guerreiro, Carla; Nunes, Rita G.; Gonçalves, Nilza; Galati, Giulia; Rosário, Madalena; Guedes, Leonor Correia; Ferreira, Joaquim J.; Reimão, Sofia

doi:10.3233/jhd-190388

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The decrease in NM-MRI contrast in atypical parkinsonisms (multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration) and in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder is similar as in PD [51,[76][77][78][79]. Moreover, in Huntington's Disease a decrease in NM-MRI signal compared to healthy controls has also been observed [80]. Discriminating PD from atypical parkinsonism is difficult although advanced analysis shows potential [81].…”

Section: Neuromelanin Sensitive Mri (Nm-mri)mentioning

confidence: 88%

Imaging of the dopamine system with focus on pharmacological MRI and neuromelanin imaging

Reneman

Pluijm

Schrantee

et al. 2021

European Journal of Radiology

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The dopamine system in the brain is involved in a variety of neurologic and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and psychosis. Different aspects of the dopamine system can be visualized and measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), including dopamine receptors, dopamine transporters, and dopamine release. New developments in MR imaging also provide proxy measures of the dopamine system in the brain, offering alternatives with the advantages MR imaging, i.e. no radiation, lower costs, usually less invasive and time consuming. This review will give an overview of these developments with a focus on the most developed techniques: pharmacological MRI (phMRI) and neuromelanin sensitive MRI (NM-MRI). PhMRI is a collective term for functional MRI techniques that administer a pharmacological challenge to assess its effects on brain hemodynamics. By doing so, it indirectly assesses brain neurotransmitter function such as dopamine function. NM-MRI is an upcoming MRI technique that enables in vivo visualization and semi-quantification of neuromelanin in the substantia nigra. Neuromelanin is located in the cell bodies of dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway and can be used as a proxy measure for long term dopamine function or degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Both techniques are still primarily used in clinical research, but there is promise for clinical application, in particular for NM-MRI in dopaminergic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.

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