Megan P. Phillips1, David K. Powell2,
Zhiming Zhang3, Richard Grondin3, Peter A. Hardy3
1Center for Biomedical Engineering,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; 2MRISC,
University of Kentucky; 3Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of
Kentucky
Parkinsons
Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of
motor control. PD results from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the
substantia nigra (SN). Depletion of the dopamine neurons in the SN affects
white matter tracts connecting the SN to the putamen. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) , the
goals of our research are first to identify the white matter tracts between
the SN and putamen effected by the depletion of dopamine and second, identify
the effects of age on white matter, specifically, fractional anisotropy (FA)
and mean diffusivity (MD).