Neuromelanin related ultra-high field signal intensity of the locus coeruleus differs between Parkinson’s disease and controls

Amée F. Wolters, Margot Heijmans, Nikos Priovoulos, Heidi I.L. Jacobs, Alida A. Postma, Yasin Temel, Mark L. Kuijf, Stijn Michielse

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Introduction Neuromelanin related signal changes in catecholaminergic nuclei are considered as a promising MRI biomarker in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Until now, most studies have investigated the substantia nigra (SN), while signal changes might be more prominent in the locus coeruleus (LC). Ultra-high field MRI improves the visualisation of these small brainstem regions and might support the development of imaging biomarkers in PD. Objectives To compare signal intensity of the SN and LC on Magnetization Transfer MRI between PD patients and healthy controls (HC) and to explore its association with cognitive performance in PD. Methods This study was conducted using data from the TRACK-PD study, a longitudinal 7T MRI study. A total of 78 early-stage PD patients and 36 HC were included. A mask for the SN and LC was automatically segmented and manually corrected. Neuromelanin related signal intensity of the SN and LC was compared between PD and HC. Results PD participants showed a lower contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the right SN (p = 0.029) and left LC (p = 0.027). After adding age as a confounder, the CNR of the right SN did not significantly differ anymore between PD and HC (p = 0.055). Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between the SN CNR and memory function. Discussion This study confirms that neuromelanin related signal intensity of the LC differs between early-stage PD patients and HC. No significant difference was found in the SN. This supports the theory of bottom-up disease progression in PD. Furthermore, loss of SN integrity might influence working memory or learning capabilities in PD patients.
Original languageEnglish
Article number103479
JournalNeuroImage: Clinical
Volume39
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Ultra-high field
  • Neuromelanin
  • Locus coeruleus
  • Substantia nigra

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