Magnetic resonance and dopamine transporter imaging for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease: a narrative review

ABSTRACT

Background: the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) can be challenging, especially in the early stages, albeit its updated and validated clinical criteria. Recent developments on neuroimaging in PD, altogether with its consolidated role of excluding secondary and other neurodegenerative causes of parkinsonism, provide more confidence in the diagnosis across the different stages of the disease. This review highlights current knowledge and major recent advances in magnetic resonance and dopamine transporter imaging in aiding PD diagnosis. Objective: This study aims to review current knowledge about the role of magnetic resonance imaging and neuroimaging of the dopamine transporter in diagnosing Parkinson's disease. Methods: We performed a non-systematic literature review through the PubMed database, using the keywords "Parkinson", “magnetic resonance imaging”, “diffusion tensor”, “diffusion-weighted”, “neuromelanin”, “nigrosome-1”, “single-photon emission computed tomography”, “dopamine transporter imaging”. The search was restricted to articles written in English, published between January 2010 and February 2022. Results: The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease remains a clinical diagnosis. However, new neuroimaging biomarkers hold promise for increased diagnostic accuracy, especially in earlier stages of the disease. Conclusion:  Future validation of new imaging biomarkers bring the expectation of an increased neuroimaging role in the diagnosis of PD in the following years.

RESUMO

Antecedentes: O diagnóstico da doença de Parkinson (DP) pode ser desafiador, principalmente nas fases iniciais da doença, embora tenha critérios clínicos atualizados e validados. Os avanços recentes em neuroimagem na DP, além do seu papel já consolidado de excluir causas secundárias e outras causas neurodegenerativas de parkinsonismo, tem contribuído para uma maior confiabilidade no diagnóstico em diferentes estágios da doença. Nesta revisão, nós destacamos os principais avanços de ressonância magnética e imagem do transportador de dopamina em auxiliar o diagnóstico de DP. Objetivo: realizar uma revisão acerca do conhecimento atual sobre o papel da ressonância magnética e imagem do transportador de dopamina no diagnóstico de doença de Parkinson. Método: Realizamos uma revisão não sistemática da literatura através da base de dados PubMed, utilizando as palavras-chave "Parkinson", “magnetic resonance imaging”, “diffusion tensor”, “diffusion-weighted”, “neuromelanin”, “nigrosome-1”, “single-photon emission computed tomography”, “dopamine transporter imaging”. A busca foi restrita a artigos escritos em inglês, publicados entre janeiro de 2010 e fevereiro de 2022. Resultados: O diagnóstico de doença de Parkinson continua sendo um diagnóstico clínico, contudo, novos biomarcadores de neuroimagem são promissores para o aumento da acurácia diagnóstica, especialmente em fases mais precoces da doença. Conclusão: A validação futura de novos biomarcadores de imagem traz a expectativa de um maior papel da neuroimagem no diagnóstico de doença de Parkinson nos próximos anos.

Keywords:

Parkinson Disease - Parkinsonian Disorders - Diffusion Tensor Imaging - Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Computed Tomography - Melanins - Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Palavras-chave:

Doença de Parkinson - Transtornos Parkinsonianos - Imagem de Tensor de Difusão - Melaninas - Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética - Imagem de Difusão por Ressonância Magnética

Authors’s contributions:

RTVO: designed the study and drafted the manuscript; JYSY: drafted and revised the manuscript; DMN: drafted and revised the manuscript; MSH: supervised and revised the manuscript; JBP: designed the study, supervised, and revised the manuscript.

Publication History

Received: 28 March 2022

Accepted: 29 April 2022

Article published online:
06 February 2023

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