Cerebral Perfusion Imaging in Parkinson's Disease
Summary
Cerebral perfusion imaging has emerged as a vital tool for characterising both motor and non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) through quantification of regional blood flow and vascular responsiveness. Techniques such as arterial spin labelling (ASL) and perfusion-weighted SPECT or PET enable non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in basal ganglia, frontal and parietal cortices, and other relevant structures. Alterations in perfusion patterns can reflect dopaminergic denervation, neurovascular unit dysfunction and compensatory reorganisation of cortical networks. Early-stage PD often shows reduced CBF in the substantia nigra pars compacta and caudate nucleus correlating with motor severity, while cognitive decline in PD correlates with hypoperfusion in prefrontal and parietal regions. Longitudinal perfusion studies indicate that progressive CBF reductions in prefrontal cortices may predict conversion to mild cognitive impairment. Combining perfusion imaging with structural or functional MRI modalities further refines diagnostic accuracy, distinguishing PD from other parkinsonian syndromes and tracking therapeutic effects of dopaminergic or non-dopaminergic interventions. Overall, perfusion imaging offers a window into disease pathophysiology, potential biomarkers for early diagnosis, staging and monitoring of PD progression and response to treatment.
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Cerebral Perfusion Imaging in Parkinson's Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cerebral perfusion imaging in parkinson's disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Arterial spin labelling (ASL): An MRI technique that labels inflowing blood magnetically to quantify cerebral blood flow without contrast agents.
Cerebral blood flow (CBF): The volume of blood passing through a given amount of brain tissue per unit time, reflecting tissue perfusion.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI): A form of MRI that measures the directional movement of water molecules to map white matter integrity.
Neurovascular coupling (NVC): The physiological mechanism linking neuronal activity to local changes in blood flow.
Perfusion imaging: A group of methods (ASL, SPECT, PET) that visualise and measure blood flow within the brain.
References
- Combined Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Arterial Spin Labeling as Markers of Early Parkinson’s disease. Scientific Reports (2016).
- Parietal Perfusion Alterations in Parkinson's Disease Patients Without Dementia. Frontiers in Neurology (2020).
- Region-Specific Neurovascular Decoupling Associated With Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2021).
- Altered Prefrontal Blood Flow Related With Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: A Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2022).
- Discriminative pattern of reduced cerebral blood flow in Parkinson’s disease and Parkinsonism-Plus syndrome: an ASL-MRI study. BMC Medical Imaging (2020).
- Motor Improvement‐Related Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Changes in Parkinson’s Disease in Response to Antiparkinsonian Drugs. Parkinson's Disease (2019).
- Molecular Imaging of Striatal Dopaminergic Neuronal Loss and the Neurovascular Unit in Parkinson Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2020).
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