Brain-imaging technique can help diagnose movement disorders

Brain-imaging technique can help diagnose movement disorders

Utilizing the diffusion tensor imaging technique, as it is known, could allow clinicians to assess people earlier, leading to improved treatment interventions and therapies for patients.

The three-year study looked at 72 patients, each with a clinically defined movement disorder diagnosis. Using a technique called diffusion tensor imaging, the researchers successfully separated the patients into disorder groups with a high degree of accuracy.

The study is being published in the journal Movement Disorders.

"The purpose of this study is to identify markers in the brain that differentiate movement disorders which have clinical symptoms that overlap, making [the disorders] difficult to distinguish," said David Vaillancourt, associate professor in the department of applied physiology and kinesiology and the study's principal investigator.

"No other imaging, cerebrospinal fluid or blood marker has been this successful at differentiating these disorders," he said. "The results are very promising."

Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy exhibit similar symptoms in the early stages, which can make it challenging to assign a specific diagnosis. Often, the original diagnosis changes as the disease progresses, Vaillancourt said.

Diffusion tensor imaging, known as DTI, is a non-invasive method that examines the diffusion of water molecules within the brain and can identify key areas that have been affected as a result of damage to gray matter and white matter in the brain. Vaillancourt and his team measured areas of the basal ganglia and cerebellum in individuals, and used a statistical approach to predict group classification. By asking different questions within the data and comparing different groups to one another, they were able to show distinct separation among disorders.

"Our goal was to use these measures to accurately predict the original disease classification," Vaillancourt said. "The idea being that if a new patient came in with an unknown diagnosis, you might be able to apply this algorithm to that individual.

He compared the process to a cholesterol test.

"If you have high cholesterol, it raises your chances of developing heart disease in the future," he said. "There are tests like those that give a probability or likelihood scenario of a particular disease group. We're going a step further and trying to utilize information to predict the classification of specific tremor and Parkinsonian diseases."

Vaillancourt and his team are part of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Parkinson's Disease Biomarkers Program, an effort that was launched in 2012 and awarded nine grants to scientists across the U.S., totaling more than $5 million in the first year. The program gives researchers access to a much broader community of individuals and patients as part of a biomarker initiative for Parkinson's disease.

Vaillancourt's team is engaged in a longitudinal study at UF that will assess between 150 and 180 people over the next few years. His team will be using DTI as well as other MRI-based techniques to classify subjects and track their progression, he said.

Welcome to SUV System Ltd!

SUV System Ltd is ISO 90012008 Certified electronics distributor with 10 years of experiences.

We have built up long term business relationship with about many companies which are stockers and authorized agents. we have a steady and reliable supply to meet customer's demands to the greatest extent .Confidently, we are able to lower your cost and support your business with our years of professional service.

SUV System Ltd is Electronic Components Distributor Supplies,Find Quality Electronic Components Supplies Products IC(Integrated Circuits),Connectors,Capacitor,Resistors,Diodes,Transistors,LED at Suvsystem.com. Sourcing Other Energy, Environment, Excess Inventory Products from Manufacturers and Suppliers at Suvsystem.com

Electronic Components distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com

Connectors Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Connectors-1.html

IC Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/IC(Integrated-Circuits)-1.html

LED Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/LED-1.html

Capacitor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Capacitor-1.html

Transistor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Transistors-1.html

Resistor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Resistors-1.html

Diode Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Diodes-1.html

SUV System Ltd insists on the managing faith ofsincereness,speciality,foresight, win-win,so we build up stable-relationship customers located all over the world, including the States, Europe, Argentina, UAE, Malaysia, Australia,and India etc

we are focus on the following fields,and hope we can help you.

C1206X105K8RALTU C1206X105K8RAL7210 C1206X105K5RAL7210 C1206X105K5RACTU C1206X105K5RACAUTO C1206X105K5RAC7800 C1206X105K5RAC C1206X105K4RALTU C1206X105K4RAL7210 C1206X105K4RACTU C1206X105K4RAC7800 C1206X105K4RAC C1206X105K3RALTU C1206X105K3RAL7210 C1206X122J3RAL7210 C1206X122J2RALTU C1206X122J2RAL7210 C1206X122J1RALTU C1206X122J1RAL7210 C1206X106M9RALTU C1206X106M9RAC C1206X106M8RALTU C1206X106M8RAL7210 C1206X106M8RACAUTO C1206X106M8RAC C1206X106M4RALTU C1206X106M4RAL7210 C1206X106M4RACTU C1206X106M4RAC7800 C1206X106M4RAC C1206X106K9RALTU C1206X106K9RAL7210 C1206X106K9RACTU C1206X106K9RAC C1206X106K8RALTU C1206X106K8RAL7210 C1206X106K8RACTU C1206X106K8RAC7800 C1206X106K8RAC C1206X106K4RALTU
http://www.suvsystem.com/a/2789.aspx