IMR Press / FBE / Volume 4 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.2741/e512

Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Review

MRI biomarkers in Huntington’s disease

Show Less
1 Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
2 Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2012, 4(5), 1910–1925; https://doi.org/10.2741/e512
Published: 1 January 2012
Abstract

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain resulting in neuronal dysfunction and neuronal loss. Since the identification of the gene responsible for HD, genetic testing has become widely available, allowing for genetic status of persons at risk for HD to be determined. For the effective evaluation of future therapeutic trials a great need exists for sensitive biomarkers. In (premanifest) HD, MRI of the brain is one of the most logical candidates as a biomarker, as opposed to clinical measures, since brain neurons are the main target of the disease. These biomarkers can facilitate early detection of disease related changes, but are also needed to monitor disease progression from the premanifest phase of HD onwards. MRI derived parameters have this biomarker potential as they have been shown to identify brain abnormalities before symptom onset. In this review the available MRI techniques of conventional MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Magnetization Transfer Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Functional MRI will be discussed and the findings will be placed into context of different HD stages.

Keywords
Huntington’s disease
MRI
Biomarker
DTI
FMRI
MRS
MTI
Review
Share
Back to top