Transcranial ultrasonography in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders

In recent years, transcranial ultrasonography (TCS) has become widely used for the visualization of the brainstem. With this method, changes of the echotexture – increased echogenicity – of the substantia nigra (SN) in about 90% of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In contrast, increased SN echogenicity is rarely found in patients with atypical or symptomatic Parkinsonian syndromes, providing a valuable tool for differential diagnosis. Interestingly, increased SN echogenicity can also be found in about 8 to 10% of healthy subjects. The studies showed that the ultrasound signal does not change in the course of the disease and this hyperechogenicity of the SN is present in the early stages of the disease, also in the presymptomatic patients. So, TCS may represent a biomarker for vulnerability of the nigrostriatal system and this method may even be helpful for the preclinical identification of people at risk for PD.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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