Keywords:
Pathology, Image verification, Dementia, Technology assessment, Statistics, Experimental investigations, Nuclear medicine conventional, MR, Nuclear medicine, Neuroradiology brain, CNS
Authors:
F. Miyoshi, S. Kitao, M. Takasugi, Y. Shinohara, Y. Kanasaki, S. Fujii, T. Kaminou, T. Ogawa; Yonago/JP
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2013/C-1200
Results
The signal intensity of the lateral SNc on NmMRI was reduced in early-PD and late-PD and that of the medial SNc was gradually and stage-dependently reduced in PD.
The signal intensity of LC was obviously reduced in late-PD.
Signal reduction was not significant in the SNc and LC of patients with AD (Figure 1a).
The heart-to-mediastinum ratio on MIBG scintigrams was stage-dependently reduced in PD and normal in AD (Figure 1b).
Fig. 1: Findings of NmMRI and MIBG scintigrams of patients and controls
a.NmMRI: Signals are reduced in NmMR images of SNc and LC according to PD stage.
b.MIBG scintigraphy: MIBG scintigrams show PD stage-dependent cardiac MIBG reduction
Quantitative NmMRI revealed smaller contrast ratios in the lateral SNc of patients with early-PD than in that of control patients,
and in that of patients with late-PD than in that of patients with AD and controls (p < 0.05) (Figure 2a).
The contrast ratios of the medial SNc were smaller in patients with early-PD than in controls,
and in patients with late-PD than in those with early-PD,
AD and controls (p < 0.05) (Figure 2b).
Contrast ratios in the LC of patients with late-PD were smaller than in control patients (p < 0.05) (Figure 2c).
Signals were not significantly reduced in the SNc and LC on NmMR images of patients with AD compared with controls.
The heart-to-mediastinum count ratio on MIBG scintigram was stage dependently reduced in patients with PD (p < 0.05),
and normal (mean ± SD,
2.15 ± 0.1517) in those with AD (mean ± SD,
2.19 ± 0.40) (Figure 2d).
Fig. 2: Box and whisker plots of signal intensity ratios on NmMR images and heart-to-mediastinum count ratios on MIBG scintigrams in patients with PD, Alzheimer’s disease and controls. Horizontal bars in boxes show median values.
a. lateral SNc, b. medial SNc, c. LC, d. MIBG
*p < 0.05.
Signal intensity ratios in the SNc on NmMRI positively correlated with heart-to-mediastinum count ratios on MIBG scintigrams (Figure 3).
Fig. 3: Correlation between signal intensity ratio in medial SNc on NmMR image and heart-to-mediastinum count ratio on MIBG scintigram
ρ=0.3984
Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients in the medial and lateral SNc were 0.358 and 0.398 respectively,
which reached statistical significance (Table 2).
Table 2: Correlation between signal intensity ratio in medial SNc on NmMRI and heart-to-mediastinum count ratio on MIBG scintigraphy