Neuroimaging findings in neurodegenerative disorders are often complex, as imaging findings in patients with mild signs and symptoms are frequently subtle and ambiguous. In many cases, by the time imaging findings become obvious, patients have already manifested clinically, and the diagnosis is already established or at least highly suspected. The radiation-free PCASL-MRI approach helps, based on the perfusion profile, to achieve an early and accurate diagnosis prior to gross morphological alterations when standardized with PET in simultaneous PET-MRI acquisitions. PCASL and PET changes preceded structural atrophy patterns and could aid in establishing early clinical diagnosis. The combination of PET and PCASL boosted the sensitivity of structural MRI and PET by synergistically diagnosing disease conditions. The synergistic effect of PCASL and FDOPA boosted the sensitivity and specificity in classifying disorders with dopaminergic deficit into IPD/APD phenotypes without the need for additional FDG PET or D2-receptor imaging. The authors highlight the role of simultaneous PCASL PET-MRI in the workup of complex neurodegenerative conditions with FDG in centers that do not have a cyclotron facility for producing non-FDG tracers. In clear-cut clinical neurodegenerative disorders, where structural changes are equivocal, an additional PCASL sequence can help in early diagnosis without the need for PET studies.
On #WorldParkinsonsDay, I'd like to highlight “ASL as a Potential Biomarker in Imaging of #Neurodegenerative Disorders” by Prof. Sandhya Mangalore, et al. (Nat. Inst. of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India).
📄 marketing.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/1a09d90d690b...
#NeuroSky #MRI #PETMRI
