Evaluation of basal ganglia haemodynamic changes with perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease

Purpose. The aim of our study was to assess the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of basal ganglia and thalami in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PW-MRI). Material and methods. Twenty subjects affected by idiopathic PD according to the United Kingdom Brain Bank criteria were enrolled in the study. Twenty normal subjects matched for age and gender were included as controls. After 20-day therapy withdrawal, the PD patients underwent PW-MRI. The rCBF was calculated both in patients and in controls. The regions of interest were manually positioned on rCBF maps over the caudate nucleus, the putamen, the external and internal globus pallidus, and over the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus. Data were normalised with those obtained from parieto-occipital white matter (POWM). Statistical analysis was performed using a parametric ANOVA test. Results. Patients showed a significant (p<0.01) interhemispheric asymmetry; rCBF values were higher on the more severely affected side. Controls showed no interhemispheric asymmetry. Conclusion. Our study suggests that PW-MRI is a valuable tool for assessing haemodynamic changes in PD patients. Haemodynamic change pattern may be useful in the early diagnosis of PD.