Objective: Here, we compared the prevalence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in patients with parkinsonian disorders, including Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Background: CMBs have been shown to be associated with various cerebrovascular risk factors, cognitive dysfunction, and white matter changes in brain MRI among patients with PD. However, whether CMBs themselves are associated with Parkinson’s diseasePD has not been fully elucidated.

Methods: We analyzed the presence of CMBs on brain MRIs in patients with PD and MSA, and in control subjects who were matched for age, sex, and hypertension. Two blinded readers independently assessed the images.

Results: A total of 205 patients with PD, 46 patients with MSA, and 251 control subjects were included. The prevalence of CMBs cerebral microbleeds was higher in PD patients (33/205, 16.1%) than in controls (19/205, 9.3%), with an odds ratio of 2.000 (95% confidence interval: 1.076–3.717, P = 0.028). CMBs in the lobar area was significantly different between PD patients and control subjects. (OR 2.054, 95% confidence interval: 1.001–4.215, P = 0.049) There was no significant difference in the prevalence of CMBs cerebral microbleeds between MSA patients and control subjects. Among PD patients, those with CMBs had higher age and more evidence of small vessel diseases than those without CMBs. 

Conclusions: We found that CMBs are more frequently found in PD patients than in controls, especially on the lobar area. Our findings might present a link between the pathologic basis of synucleinopathy and amyloid angiopathy in PD. 

« Back to 2017 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-prevalence-of-cerebral-microbleeds-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-and-multiple-system-atrophy/