Measuring the iron content of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra with MRI relaxometry

• Published in: bioRxiv
• Main Authors: Brammerloh, Malte, Morawski, Markus, Weigelt, Isabel, Reinert, Tilo, Lange, Charlotte, Pelicon, Primoz, Vavpetic, Primoz, Jankuhn, Steffen, Jaeger, Carsten, Alkemade, Anneke, Balesar, Rawien, Pine, Kerrin, Gavriilidis, Filippos, Trampel, Robert, Reimer, Enrico, Arendt, Thomas, Weiskopf, Nikolaus, Kirilina, Evgeniya
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 02.07.2020
• Subjects: Cell density; Cognitive ability; Dopamine receptors; Iron; Magnetic resonance imaging; Movement disorders; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroimaging; Parkinson's disease; Parkinsons disease; Substantia nigra

In Parkinson's disease, the depletion of iron-rich dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra's nigrosome 1 precedes first motor symptoms by two decades. Monitoring this neuronal depletion at an early disease stage is needed for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Magnetic resonance imaging...