Assessment of white matter changes and grey matter atrophy in a 6-OHDA Parkinson's model

Motivation: To better understand Parkinson's disease (PD)-related brain changes through a reliable animal model. Goal(s): Use the 6-OHDA rat model to explore neurodegeneration in PD. Approach: Applied free-water diffusion tensor imaging (fw-DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to measure white matter microstructure and gray matter atrophy in PD-affected rats. Results: 6-OHDA rats showed significant motor impairments and loss of dopamine neurons. fw-DTI indicated increased free-water content (suggesting neuroinflammation), and VBM revealed gray matter atrophy. Impact: This study shows that free-water DTI and VBM are effective tools for examining Parkinson's disease-related brain degeneration, providing insights into neurodegenerative mechanisms such as neuroinflammation and gray matter atrophy linked to PD progression.