Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer MR imaging of the substantia nigra and red nucleus in Parkinson’s disease

Motivation: Achieving precise quantification of target molecules has been a prominent focus of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) . Goal(s): To investigate the alteration of CEST-MRI in the bilateral substantia nigra (SN) and red nucleus (RN) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to explore its value of clinical application. Approach: The signal change of CEST imaging was separated using the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model. The amide, nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE), direct water saturation (DS), and magnetization transfer (MT) value were compared between the PD and NC group. Results: The results indicated that CEST-MR can reveal the signal alterations the SN and RN in PD patients. Impact: CEST-MRI, utilizing the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model, was employed to accurately delineate the amide signal alterations within the SN and RN of patients with PD. This approach demonstrates significant promise for enhancing the clinical diagnosis of PD.