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Chemical exchange saturation transfer MR imaging of Parkinson’s disease at 3 Tesla

  • Molecular Imaging
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To demonstrate the feasibility of using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging to detect Parkinson’s disease (PD) in patients at 3 Tesla.

Methods

Twenty-seven PD patients (17 men and 10 women; age range, 54–77 years) and 22 age-matched normal controls (13 men and 9 women; age range, 55–73 years) were examined on a 3-Tesla MRI system. Magnetization transfer spectra with 31 different frequency offsets (−6 to 6 ppm) were acquired at two transverse slices of the head, including the basal ganglia and midbrain. One-way analysis of variance tests was used to compare the differences in CEST imaging signals between PD patients and normal controls.

Results

Total CEST signal between the offsets of 0 and 4 ppm in the substantia nigra was significantly lower in PD patients than in normal controls (P = 0.006), which could be associated with the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Protein-based CEST imaging signals at the offset of 3.5 ppm in the globus pallidus, putamen and caudate were significantly increased in PD patients, compared to normal controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.003, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

CEST imaging signals could potentially serve as imaging biomarkers to aid in the non-invasive molecular diagnosis of PD.

Key Points

• Total CEST signal in substantia nigra decreased in PD patients

• Protein-based CEST signals in basal ganglia increased in PD patients

• CEST could assist with the non-invasive molecular diagnosis for PD patients

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Abbreviations

APT:

amide proton transfer

CEST:

chemical exchange saturation transfer

FLAIR:

fluid-attenuated inversion recovery

H&Y:

Hoehn and Yahr

MTRasym :

magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry

NAWM:

normal-appearing white matter

PD:

Parkinson’s disease

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Acknowledgments

This study has received funding by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (812111480), the fund of the 12th Five-year Plan for National Science & Technology Supporting Program (2012BAI10B04) and the National Institutes of Health (R01EB009731, R01CA166171 and R01NS083425). The authors thank Dr. Michel Modo (University of Pittsburgh) and Dr. Yun Zhou and Dr. Arman Rahmim (Johns Hopkins University) for helpful discussion, and Ms. Mary McAllister for editorial assistance.

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Min Chen (Director of Department of Radiology). The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study. Methodology: retrospective, diagnostic or prognostic study, performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital, No. 1 Da-Hua Road, Dong Dan, Beijing, 100730, China

    Chunmei Li, Shuai Peng, Rui Wang & Min Chen

  2. Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, No. 1 Da-Hua Road, Dong Dan, Beijing, 100730, China

    Haibo Chen & Wen Su

  3. Center for MRI Research and Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics & Engineering, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China

    Xuna Zhao

  4. Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street / Park 336, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Jinyuan Zhou

Authors
  1. Chunmei Li
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  2. Shuai Peng
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Correspondence to Jinyuan Zhou or Min Chen.

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Li, C., Peng, S., Wang, R. et al. Chemical exchange saturation transfer MR imaging of Parkinson’s disease at 3 Tesla. Eur Radiol 24, 2631–2639 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-014-3241-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-014-3241-7

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