Non-Invasive Markers of Oxidatvie Stress in Human Brain

Many current theories on the development of Parkinson's disease include the notion that changes in the biochemistry of the brain usually precede any structural changes, which can be picked up by MRI. Indeed, among the commonly implicated factors are damage to the mitochondrion, the brain cell's major site of energy production and associated oxidative damage, which are in turn often characterized by decreases in brain compounds, amino acids and neurotransmitter chemicals, such as the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and the important antioxidant gluthathione, which can be measured as part of the so-called neurochemical profile. To date, only a few non-invasive in vivo neurochemical studies have been performed, and none of them have sought to measure brain glutamate in patients with PD or develop a neurochemical profile. Thus, this study is a unique, experimental approach with great potential for increasing understanding of the progression of PD and for its future diagnosis and treatment. This study takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in magnetic resonance spectroscopy using ultra-high magnetic fields (such as 7 Tesla, the highest magnetic field power currently available for this type of human studies in the world) to non-invasively image the human brain. Our goal is to compare the neurochemical profile of the brain areas of the substantia nigra and the striatum between normals and patients with Parkinson's disease, validating the idea that mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress are key early indicators. No such profile exists at this time, and would be invaluable for the ability to make early diagnoses, monitor disease progression and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment regimes. It is our hope that we will be able to identify not only the most promising neurochemical indicators for diagnosing PD, but also the brain area most involved with the early development of the disease.