Twenty-nine Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were scanned using a single 3D gradient echo magnetization transfer sequence to evaluate neuromelanin volume, global and regional iron content, and the appearance of nigrosome-1 territory (the “N1 sign”) in the substantia nigra. Iron increase and neuromelanin volume reduction were found in PD patients compared to HCs. 21/29 and 4/29 of PD patients showed bilateral and unilateral loss of the N1 sign, respectively. Combining the N1 sign with neuromelanin volume, global iron content and regional iron content respectively improved diagnostic performance to differentiate PD patients from HCs.
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