Transcranial Sonography Study Of Patients With Parkinson's Disease And Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Objective The intracranial structures of patients with PD and RBD were showed by TCS.In this study,we aimed to analyze the differences of PD and RBD patients in TCS,which maybe help to diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PD and RBD.Methods From November 2011 to March 2018,194 inpatients and outpatients in the department of neurology and sleep disorders center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow university were recruited.Including 52 patients with PD,49 patients with PD-RBD,38 patients with idiopathic RBD(iRBD)and 55 healthy controls.TCS was performed following a standardized procedure.Evaluating the echogenicity of substantia nigra(SN)and brainstem raphe(BR)on the mesencephalic plane,the echogenicity of lentiform nucleus(LN)on the thalami level.The widths of third ventricle(TV)were measured.Results 1.SN:33 PD patients(33/52,63.5%)and 33 PD-RBD patients(33/49,67.3%)had hyperechogenicity in the SN,whereas which were less than in iRBD patients(13/38,32.4%)and healthy controls(4/55,7.3%,p<0.001).2.LN:A greater proportion of iRBD patients(23/38,60.5%)were found to have LN hyperechogenicity when compared to PD patients(8/52,15.4%),PD-RBD patients(9/49,18.4%)and healthy controls(3/55,5.5%,p<0.001).3.There was no significantly difference in the BR echogenicity and the widths of third ventricle among four groups.Conclusions The majority of patients with PD and PD-RBD had hyperechogenicity in the SN,while the majority of patients with iRBD had hyperechogenicity in the LN.TCS can provide better imaging information for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PD and RBD by exploring the changes in the intracranial neuroultra sonography of patients.