Session Information
Date: Monday, October 8, 2018
Session Title: Parkinson's Disease: Neuroimaging And Neurophysiology
Session Time: 1:15pm-2:45pm
Location: Hall 3FG
Objective: To compare the usefulness of two neuroimaging methods (3TMR and MEcho) to assist in the diagnosis of PD.
Background: In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) the degeneration of the substantia nigra can be evaluated through various neuroimaging methods. With mesencephalic ultrasound (MEcho) a characteristic but not pathognomonic hyperechogenicity (SNH +) has been described. Recently, the use of magnetic susceptibility sequences in 3-Tesla magnetic resonance (3TMR) equipment has been reported to detect the absence of signal in the area of nigrosome-1, the compartment with the highest degree of neuronal loss in this pathology. To date, the clinical utility of both methods has not been correlated.
Methods: In a group of patients with PD of more than 3 years of evolution, the results of 3TMR (absence / presence of nigrosome-1) were compared with the results of their MEcho (HSN +/-). The evaluators of the studies were blind to the pathology of the patient.
Results: Sixteen patients with PD were studied with 3TMR. Sex: male 8 (50%). Average age: 70.2. Hoehn and Yahr: 1,9. Average evolution time: 7 years. 11 patients performed EcoM. One did not have a window. The remaining 10 patients were analyzed. RM3T: Absence of nigrosome-1: 10 (100%): bilateral: 7 (70%), unilateral: 3 (30%). EcoM: HSN +: 8 (80%): bilateral: 7 (87.5%), unilateral: 1 (12.5%). Relationship of the laterality of the pathological findings in both methods: Bilateral RM3T 7: EcoM with HSN +: 6 (85%): bilateral 5 (83.5%), unilateral 1 (16.5%). Unilateral RM3T 3: EcoM with HSN +: 2 (66%): bilateral 2 (100%), unilateral 0 (0%).
Conclusions: In our center, the detection of the absence of nigrosome-1 in 3TMR was more useful than the MEcho in the detection of abnormalities in the substantia nigra in patients with a diagnosis of PD. There was no correlation between the laterality of the findings in both studies. This work is a first approach to the comparative diagnostic utility of both methods, which until now has not been reported.
References: 1-Noh Y, Sung YH, Lee J, Kim EY. Nigrosome 1 Detection at 3T MRI for the Diagnosis of Early-Stage Idiopathic Parkinson Disease: Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy and Agreement on Imaging Asymmetry and ClinicalL aterality.. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015 Nov;36(11):2010-6. 2-Schwarz,ST, Schwarz , Afzal M, Morgan PS, Bajaj N .The ‘swallow tail’ appearance of the healthy nigrosome – a new accurate test of Parkinson’s disease: a case-control and retrospective cross-sectional MRI study at 3T.PLoS One. 2014 Apr 7;9 (4).
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J.S. Bestoso, M. Pérez Akly, L. Ciancaglini, C. Stefani C, J. Norscini, J. Funes, C. Besada, D. Bauso. Absence of the nigrosome-1 area in 3 tesla resonance and its relation with hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2018; 33 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/absence-of-the-nigrosome-1-area-in-3-tesla-resonance-and-its-relation-with-hyperechogenicity-of-the-substantia-nigra-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2018 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/absence-of-the-nigrosome-1-area-in-3-tesla-resonance-and-its-relation-with-hyperechogenicity-of-the-substantia-nigra-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/