Fuhua Yan

The use of imaging biomarkers holds promise to differentiate Parkinson’s Disease (PD) from other movement disorders and healthy controls. Both animal models and human studies have shown that neuromelanin (NM) is depleted for PD patients while iron content concurrently increases. One method to look for NM depletion is the loss of the nigrosome-1 (N1) sign. A new multi-contrast, rapid imaging protocol referred to as STAGE (strategically acquired gradient echo) imaging combined with magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) can image the N1 sign as well as NM and iron simultaneously with optimal contrast in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus. 

Debra McGivney

Synthetic images can be generated from quantified tissue properties (T1, T2, proton density) to mimic conventional MR images. Synthetic images require quantitative information, ideally from a multiparametric scan. As multiparametric MRI becomes more rapid, robust and accurate, the opportunity to reduce scan time and gain information by combining quantitative maps with synthetic images is more widely available. Techniques such as, MR fingerprinting (MRF) and multidynamic multiecho (MDME) are examples of rapid quantitative imaging that can be used to calculate synthetic images. Applications to various diseases show that synthetic imaging can be comparable in quality and diagnostic information to conventional images.