Tracy Robert Melzer1,2, Richard Watts1,3, Michael R. MacAskill1,2, Ross Keenan4, Charlotte Graham1,2, Leslie Livingston1,2, John C. Dalrymple-Alford1,3, Tim J. Anderson1,2
1Van der Veer Institute, Christchurch, New
Zealand; 2University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand; 3University
of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; 4Christchurch Radiology
Group, Christchurch, New Zealand
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was used to investigate structural changes in
key components of the limbic system as potential biomarkers in the progression
of cognitive decline in Parkinsons disease (PD). Mean Diffusivity (MD) and
Fractional Anisotropy (FA) values in 30 PD patients (categorized into
cognitively intact (PDU), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementing (PDD))
and 20 controls were analyzed in a region-of-interest analysis that revealed
significant differences between PDD and controls and PDD and PDU. Furthermore,
DTI values correlated with cognitive measures. DTI is a promising method to
evaluate and potentially track anatomical substrates of cognitive decline in
PD.
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