Parkinson's Disease

Preliminary Diagnosis: Parkinson's Disease

I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?

• Contrasted MR of the brain.

II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Advantages

• More sensitive and specific in identifying and characterizing any gray and/or white matter abnormalities than other imaging modalities

• May adequately evaluate the pars compacta, pars tensa, and the substantia nigra, which are important in Parkinson’s disease pathology and diagnosis

Disadvantages

• Expensive

• Time consuming

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• Requires significant patient cooperation to minimize motion artifact

III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?

• Contraindicated in patients with non–MR-compatible hardware

IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?

• CT of the brain without contrast

V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

CT of the Brain without contrast

Advantages

• Less expensive and quicker to perform than MR imaging

Disadvantages

• Less sensitive and specific in evaluating midbrain structures affected in Parkinson’s disease

VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?

CT of the Brain without contrast

• May be contraindicated in pregnant patients

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