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Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity assessed by transcranial sonography is related to neuropsychological impairment in the elderly population

  • Parkinson's Disease and Allied Conditions - Original Article
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Abstract

Transcranial sonography (TCS) is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (SN+) in TCS has been shown to be also evident in about 8–10% of healthy persons. Neuroimaging studies and slight motor deficits in subjects with SN+ indicate functional impairment of the nigrostriatal system associated with the ultrasound sign. We questioned, whether SN+ may also be associated with neuropsychological deficits and whether there is a relation to other PD premotor markers. Thirty-six subjects with SN+ and 34 control persons (SN−) older than 50 years were investigated. The delayed verbal memory recall (LogII) of subjects with SN+ was significantly reduced compared to the performance of the control group (P = 0.02). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that, besides UPDRS-III (P < 0.001) and positive family history for PD (P < 0.01), LogII (P < 0.05) seems to be independently associated with SN+.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute of Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Inga Liepelt, Angela Wendt, Katherine J. Schweitzer, Bjoern Wolf, Jana Godau, Alexandra Gaenslen, Theresa Bruessel & Daniela Berg

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  1. Inga Liepelt
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  2. Angela Wendt
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  3. Katherine J. Schweitzer
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  4. Bjoern Wolf
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  5. Jana Godau
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  6. Alexandra Gaenslen
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  7. Theresa Bruessel
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  8. Daniela Berg
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Correspondence to Inga Liepelt.

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Liepelt, I., Wendt, A., Schweitzer, K.J. et al. Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity assessed by transcranial sonography is related to neuropsychological impairment in the elderly population. J Neural Transm 115, 993–999 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0043-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0043-6

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