Abstract #4276

Differences Between Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Healthy Controls Detected by High Spatial Resolution 3D-MRSI at 3 T

Adriane Groeger¹, Grzegorz Chadzynski², Kathrin Brockmann¹, Karin Srulijes¹, Daniela Berg¹, Uwe Klose²

¹Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; ²Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Section for Experimental Magnetic Resonance of Central Nervous System, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany

We developed an optimized 3D-MRSI protocol with high spatial resolution at 3T to evaluate a method for assessing the characteristic loss of neurons inside the substantia nigra in patients with Parkinsons disease. Nine PD patients and eight age-matched healthy controls were examined. A voxel size of 0.252 ml yielded reproducible values for the NAA/Cr ratios in all subjects. Our results show clear differences between the intra-individual NAA/Cr ratios in the SN of PD patients compared to controls and suggest that aspects of the pathophysiological process at the SN can be assessed by 3D-MRSI with high spatial resolution at 3T.