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Third-party-funded project

Title:
Studies of preclinical diagnosis in Parkinson's disease (?)

Project management at the University of Würzburg:

• Prof. Dr. Georg Becker , seit 04/2001 Uniklinik Homburg/Saar,Mail: georg.becker@uniklinik-saarland.de

Participating scientists:

• Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Reiners
• PD Dr. Markus Naumann
• Dr. Daniela Berg
• Prof. Dr. Manfred Gerlach , Psychiatrie Uni Würzburg
• Prof. Dr. Peter Riederer , Psychiatrie Uni Würzburg
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Lange , Institut f. Neuropsychologie Uni Regensburg

Abstract:
Transcranial sonography detects hyperechogeneic lesions of the substantia nigra (SN) in early stages of Parkinson´s disease (PD) . Approximately 9% of healthy controls exhibit the same echo pattern of the substantia nigra as PD patients. Healthy subjects with SN hyperechogenicity had lower F- Dopa uptake values in PET studies compared with control subjects without these findings. This indicates a subclinical alteration of the nigrostriatal system. Increased signal intensity is caused by increased tissue iron load. These findings suggest that ultrasound may serve as an screening tool for the detection of subjects predisposed to develop PD.

Key words:
    transcranial sonography
    preclinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
    F-DOPA-PET

Projekt period: from 11.1999 to 10.2002

Funding institution:
DFG ( Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ) ,Granting date: 22.11.1999

Publications:

• Becker G, Berg D. (2001). Neuroimaging in basal ganglia disorders: perspectives for transcranial ultrasound. Mov Disord, 2,56. (scientific article)
• Berg D, Becker G, Zeiler B, Tucha O, Hofmann E, Preier M et al. (1999). Vulnerability of the nigrostriatal system as detected by transcranial ultrasound. Neurology, 5,21. (scientific article)
• Berg D, Supprian T, Hofmann E, Zeiler B, Jager A, Lange KW et al.. (1999). Depression in Parkinson's disease: brainstem midline alteration on transcranial sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. J Neurol, 2,65. (scientific article)
• Berg D, Siefker C, Ruprecht-Dorfler P, Becker G.. (2001). Relationship of substantia nigra echogenicity and motor function in elderly subjects. Neurology, 5,21. (scientific article)
• Berg D, Siefker C, Becker G.. (2001). Echogenicity of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease and its relation to clinical findings.. J Neurol, 2,65. (scientific article)
• Berg D, Roggendorf W, Schroder U, Klein R, Tatschner T, Benz P et al. (2002). Echogenicity of the substantia nigra: association with increased iron content and marker for susceptibility to nigrostriatal injury. Arch Neurol, 4,05. (scientific article)