Imaging of nigrosome 1 in substantia nigra at 3T using multiecho susceptibility map‐weighted imaging (SMWI)

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 528 - 536
• Main Authors: Nam, Yoonho, Gho, Sung‐Min, Kim, Dong‐Hyun, Kim, Eung Yeop, Lee, Jongho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Biomarkers; Brain Mapping; Contrast Media - chemistry; Data acquisition; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Image contrast; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; iron deposition; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic susceptibility; Male; Middle Aged; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; nigrosome 1; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Parkinson Disease - diagnostic imaging; Parkinson's disease; Patients; Positron-Emission Tomography; quantitative susceptibility mapping; Reproducibility of Results; Signal-To-Noise Ratio; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution; Substantia nigra; Substantia Nigra - diagnostic imaging; iron deposition; magnetic resonance imaging; quantitative susceptibility mapping; substantia nigra; Parkinson's disease; nigrosome 1
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25553

Purpose To enhance the visibility of nigrosome 1 in substantia nigra, which has recently been suggested as an imaging biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD) at 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods The substantia nigra structure was visualized at 3T MRI using multiecho susceptibility map‐weighted imaging (SMWI) in 15 healthy volunteers and 6 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The visibility of nigrosome 1 was further enhanced by acquiring data in an oblique‐coronal imaging plane at a high spatial resolution (0.5 × 0.5 × 1.0 mm3). To compare the visibility, the contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNR) of the nigrosome 1 structure relative to the neighboring substantia nigra structure were evaluated in the SMWI and other conventional susceptibility contrast images (magnitude, frequency, quantitative susceptibility map [QSM] and susceptibility‐weighted image). Results In healthy volunteers, the CNRs of the nigrosome 1 structure were 1.04 ± 0.38, 0.84 ± 0.32, 1.04 ± 0.40, 0.86 ± 0.41, and 1.45 ± 0.48 for magnitude, frequency, quantitative susceptibility map, susceptibility‐weighted image, and SMWI, respectively. Compared to conventional susceptibility contrast images, the SMWI method significantly improved the CNR of nigrosome 1 (P = 0.014 for magnitude, P = 0.030 for QSM, and P < 0.001 for frequency and SWI, respectively). The magnetic susceptibility difference between nigrosome 1 and neighboring substantia nigra structures was 0.037 ± 0.016 ppm (measured in QSM, P < 0.001) in healthy volunteers. In the PD patients, the visibility of the nigrosome 1 structures was reduced. Conclusion The SMWI method enhances the visibility of nigrosome 1 structures at 3T MRI when compared to conventional susceptibility contrast images. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:528–536