Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by loss of dopaminergic neurons and accumulation of iron in the substantia nigra. Our MR imaging study uses quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) to quantify iron and neuromelanin, respectively in healthy controls, patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and PD. We demonstrate that patients with PD have an increase in iron but reduction in neuromelanin in the substantia nigra as compared to healthy controls. Loss of dopaminergic neurons can cause release of neuromelanin, thus furthering a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative cycle1.
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