Regional neuromelanin reduction in the substantia nigra in different subtype of Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to investigate neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI) characteristics in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) across Parkinson's disease (PD) subtypes and their association with motor and cognitive performance.

Methods

Four groups were included: PD patients with mild motor predominant (PD-MMP, n = 37), intermediate (PD-IM, n = 41), diffuse malignant (PD-DM, n = 12), and healthy controls (HC, n = 51). Clinical evaluations and MRI scans were performed. Signal values from NM-MRI were extracted using SNc and background masks. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values for the sensorimotor, associative, and limbic territories of the SNc were compared across groups. Pearson correlations assessed the relationship between CNR values and clinical scores in PD patients.

Results

CNR values in the whole SNc differed significantly between groups (p < 0.01), with PD-DM showing the greatest reduction. The associative subregion had significantly lower CNR in all PD subgroups compared to HC (ps < 0.01). In the limbic subregion, PD-IM had lower CNR than PD-MMP (p = 0.04). In the sensorimotor subregion, PD-IM and PD-DM had lower CNR compared to HC (p < 0.01). CNR values in the whole SNc weakly correlated with UPDRS motor scores (r = −0.30, p < 0.01) and the Trail Making Test B (r = −0.27, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Distinct neuromelanin alterations were observed across PD subtypes, with PD-DM showing the most significant NM loss. These findings suggest that regional NM loss is associated with motor and cognitive impairments, reflecting underlying pathological mechanisms in PD.