Major structural abnormalities in the alpha-synuclein mouse model of Parkinson’s Disease revealed with MR Microscopy at 16.4 T

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with irreparable damage to dopaminergic neurons due to α-synuclein (aSYN) inclusions. Dopaminergic pathways include the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, mesocortical and tuberoinfundibular systems that play vital roles. Thus, dysregulations of dopamine function may lead to brain-wide consequences. Apart from a mouse PD model of injected aSYN1, brain morphology alterations in genetic mouse models have not been described in detail using MRI. Here we explore brain morphological differences between PD models and healthy controls, crucial for further understanding of the disease. We find major morphological abnormalities in areas such as Lateral Ventricles, Corpus Callosum and the surrounding Cortex.