The Role of Neuroimaging in the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and the formation of intracytoplasmic Lewy inclusion bodies. To date, the diagnosis of idiopathic PD is mainly based on its cardinal clinical features: resting tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity. In recent years, advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial sonography (TCS) and functional imaging ‐ which includes positron emission tomography(PET)and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) ‐ have provided new tools for the diagnosis of PD in its early stages and have discriminated it from other atypical Parkinsonian syndromes. This review focuses mainly on the current development of neuroimaging and its application in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PD.