Imaging Technique May Trace Development of Parkinson’s Disease

University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs, by Paul Francuch, March 24, 2009

While finding a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease that would let physicians screen for or track its progression remains an elusive goal, a team led by a University of Illinois at Chicago neuroscientist has shown that a non-invasive brain scanning technique offers promise.

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X-ray eyes bring us closer to early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

EurekAlert / Public release date: 13-Feb-2009

It is estimated that 4 million people world-wide are suffering from Parkinson’s, a complex disease that varies greatly among affected individuals. Understanding the brain chemistry that leads to the onset of Parkinson’s is vital if we are to develop methods for early MRI diagnosis and new treatments for this devastating disease.  Speaking at the AAAS Meeting in Chicago, Dr Joanna Collingwood, from Keele University, will present new results from studies carried out, in collaboration with Dr Mark Davidson from the University of Florida (UF), at Diamond – the UK’s national synchrotron. Their results show that the distribution of metal ions in the brain tissue of sufferers is altered by the disease process.

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