Projects & Grants
| Development and testing of a new MR protocol for TCS/MRI fusion imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease | |
|---|---|
| Project Id | SGS11/LF/2022 |
| Main solver | Mgr. Jiří Kozel |
| Period | 1/2022 - 12/2022 |
| Provider | Specifický VŠ výzkum |
| State | finished |
| Anotation | Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized by motor and cognitive changes whose pathophysiological basis is cell degeneration in the pars compacta subtantiae nigrae and reduced functionality of the dopaminergic system in the striatum. Advances in imaging methods over the last two decades have contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiological processes in PD, and biomarkers have been identified to monitor disease progression. Examination of patients with PD using transcranial sonography (TCS) revealed increased echogenicity in the subtantia nigra area, but the cause of hyperechogenicity in this area is still unknown. The combination of TCS and magnetic resonance (MR) modalities with advanced special sequences using a stronger magnetic field could explain the morphological cause of this phenomenon. In this research, we propose the use of a new protocol using sequences to detect perivascular spaces around the subtantia nigra, iron content evaluation sequences and neuromelanin-sensitive sequences. Subsequently, these images will be fused with TCS images using an automatic image analysis program. The research will examine and analyze the data of approximately 40 patients with PD. The MR protocol will be collected and optimized at the radiodiagnostic department of the University Hospital Ostrava, and data from already examined patients from the Czech-Israeli cooperation project and the Ministry of Health grant NV15-25602A - Biomarkers of progression and therapeutic responses in neurodegenerative diseases will be analyzed. Data from this pilot group of patients will be used as a basis for follow-up grants and projects with possible application in clinical practice. |
