Keywords:
CNS, Neuroradiology brain, MR, Imaging sequences, Normal variants, Experimental investigations
Authors:
Y. Xing, S. Abdul, R. Dineen, D. Auer; Nottingham/UK
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-3031
Results
The final analysis included 94 healthy participants aged from 5.1 to 82.02 years old (mean age ± SD,
31.55±21.66; 40 males and 54 females).
Age effect on the pigmented SN volume
Volume increases from early life time up to about 53 years of age and then gradually decreases,
presenting a reversed U shape (Figure 2).
We found a significant age effect on the suprathreshold volume with data and the adjusted R2 of 0.421.
The volume of the midbrain at the level of the SN (P=0.843) and sex (P=0.549) did not impact the relation between age-SNpc volume when testing the interaction effect.
Age effects on the contrast to noise ratio of the pigmented substantial nigra and its subregions
As it is illustrated in Figure 3 the CNR of SNpc increases up to 49-56 years of age and decreases significantly as age increases.
The quadratic regression demonstrated a higher adjusted R2 (0.785) vs the linear fit (adjusted R2 =0.555,
P<0.00001).
Lifespan trajectories of NM contrast changes were similar in both the anterior and posterior SN (Figure 4) with adjusted R2 squares of 0.771 and 0.769 (p<0.00001).
Subregional effects on the substantia nigra pigmentation.
The anterior SN (0.2454±0.064) displayed consistently higher CNR than the posterior SN (0.2085±0.059) (Figure 4,
P<0.0001).