Neuromelanin and T*-MRI for the assessment of genetically at-risk, prodromal, and symptomatic Parkinson's disease.

MRI was suggested as a promising method for the diagnosis and assessment of Parkinson's Disease (PD). We aimed to assess the sensitivity of neuromelanin-MRI and T* with radiomics analysis for detecting PD, identifying individuals at risk, and evaluating genotype-related differences. Patients with PD and non-manifesting (NM) participants [NM-carriers (NMC) and NM-non-carriers (NMNC)], underwent MRI and DAT-SPECT.

DaT-SPECT assessment depicts dopamine depletion among asymptomatic G2019S LRRK2 mutation carriers.

Identification of early changes in Dopamine-Transporter (DaT) SPECT imaging expected in the prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease (PD), are usually overlooked. Carriers of the G2019S LRRK2 mutation are known to be at high risk for developing PD, compared to non-carriers. In this work we aimed to study early changes in Dopamine uptake in non-manifesting PD carriers (NMC) of the G2019S LRRK2 mutation using quantitative DaT-SPECT analysis and to examine the potential for early prediction of PD.