[Neuroimaging in movement disorders--CT, MRI, and PET study]

Abstract

The recent advance in non-invasive methods of neuroradiology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) has been lead to give us much informations about the structural changes with high resolution, the iron distribution in the brain, the regional metabolism, and the receptor mapping etc. These new methods have been also applied to the movement disorders. For example, in Parkinson's disease, MRI revealed the narrowed T2 image of pars compacta of nigra without striate lesion. Also PET in this disease demonstrated normal regional cerebral blood flow, normal regional glucose metabolism, decreased uptake of DOPA, reduced re-uptake of dopamine, and normal D1 and D2 receptors in the striatum. These anatomical, metabolic, and molecular physiologic information has not only elucidated the pathophysiology but has also helped us to understand normal brain function.