Research on the retina using advanced imaging techniques has been confirmed to be helpful in diagnosing Parkinson’s disease.
Seoul National University Hospital Operation Seoul National University Hospital Boramae Hospital Neurology Professor Ji-Young Lee (Department of Neuroscience, Seoul National University) said that advanced imaging techniques that study the dopaminergic nervous system and retina of the substantia nigra are worth developing as a diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease. published in Nature Reviews Neurology.
Because Parkinson’s disease progresses slowly, it is difficult to know when it started. Recently, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have been developed to detect an increase in iron content in tissues, a decrease in neuromelanin, and a loss of nigrosomal signal, which appear in the substantia nigra, but it is difficult to diagnose the occurrence of the central nervous system.
This research by Professor Lee is a compilation of research results that revealed the relationship between the structural changes in the optic nerve and retina, which are the only direct connection with brain tissue, and the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Research on the appearance of retinal abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease patients has been published since the late 1970s, but full-scale research results have been announced in the last 10 years.
Prof. Lee, through retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histopathological studies, found that structural changes in the macula were found in early patients with Parkinson’s disease compared to normal people. In addition, it was confirmed that a decrease in the thickness of the retina is associated with major symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as postural instability, gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and hallucinations.
Professor Lee expressed his anticipation, “If retinal imaging techniques are further developed along with brain pathology and MRI scans, it will be very useful in diagnosing Parkinson’s disease at an early stage and determining the progression and prognosis of the disease.”
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