Deciphering Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in Parkinson’s Disease: A VEXI MRI Investigation

Motivation: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption has been observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology and is considered to contribute to disease progression. However, current imaging techniques for assessing BBB integrity, such as PET and DCE, rely on contrast agents, limiting their clinical utility. Goal(s): To utilize the non-invasive vascular water exchange (VEXI) technique to assess BBB alterations in PD and investigate region-specific BBB changes related to disease severity. Approach: We used VEXI MRI on 55 PD patients and 39 controls, analyzing apparent water exchange (AXR) rate in PD-related brain regions. Results: Elevated AXR values were observed in PD-related brain regions, correlating with clinical severity. Impact: This study positions VEXI MRI as a valuable tool for non-invasively mapping regional BBB changes in PD, enhancing understanding BBB alterations related BBB and supporting the more precise disease monitoring and intervention.