New Brain Imaging Technique Helps Diagnose Parkinson’s

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 14, 2013

A new study gives hope that a brain-imaging technique will improve diagnoses for the millions of people with movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease.

Researchers from the University of Florida believe a diffusion tensor imaging technique could allow clinicians to assess people earlier than is possible today, leading to improved treatment interventions and therapies for patients.

The three-year study looked at 72 patients, each with a clinically defined movement disorder diagnosis. The new technique allowed researchers to successfully separate the patients into disorder groups with a high degree of accuracy.

The research will be published in the journal Movement Disorders.

The purpose of this study is to identify markers in the brain that differentiate movement disorders which have clinical symptoms that overlap, making [the disorders] difficult to distinguish, said David Vaillancourt, associate professor and the studys principal investigator.

No other imaging, cerebrospinal fluid or blood marker has been this successful at differentiating these disorders, he said. The results are very promising.

Movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease, essential tremor, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy exhibit similar symptoms in the early stages, which can make it challenging to assign a specific diagnosis.

Vaillancourt said that often the original diagnosis changes as the disease progresses.

Diffusion tensor imaging, known as DTI, is a non-invasive method that examines the diffusion of water molecules within the brain. It can identify key areas that have been affected as a result of damage to gray matter and white matter in the brain.

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New Brain Imaging Technique Helps Diagnose Parkinson’s