DWI with dynamic b-value cycling reveals evidence of reduced suprasellar cistern neurofluid motion in Parkinson’s disease

The goal of this study was to use a novel diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) protocol with dynamic cycling of low b-values to test fundamental hypotheses regarding neurofluid movement along inflow and egress pathways of the suprasellar cisterns in older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease (PD). Contrast consistent with reduced neurofluid motion was observed in PD relative to healthy participants, with reduced fluid movement corresponding to choroid plexus hyperemia. Modeling of DWI signal decay as a function of b-value provides quantitative neurofluid kinetics and may present a candidate non-tracer technology for quantifying neurofluid flow non-invasively in vivo in humans.