MRI Correlates of 18F-AV133 in Parkinson's Disease

Motivation: The limited availability and high cost of 18F-AV133 PET impedes its widespread adoption for use in diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Goal(s): Our goal was to assess the relationship between 18F-AV133 PET and MRI imaging markers in Parkinson's disease. Approach: Magnetization transfer and relaxometry imaging metrics derived in the basal ganglia of Parkinson's disease patients were compared to standardized uptake ratios from 18F-AV133 PET. Results: Significant correlations were seen between 18F-AV133 PET and MRI imaging metrics. These results suggest that MRI is able to capture neurodegenerative processes in Parkinson's disease. Impact: Our demonstration of the relationship between 18F-AV133 PET and MRI imaging markers suggests MRI imaging markers may serve as a surrogate measure for the integrity of the nigrostriatal system in Parkinson's disease.