Advanced MRI technique detects cellular damage in living Huntington’s patients

Scientists applied soma and neurite density imaging (Sandi), a diffusion-MRI approach, to compare scans of 56 individuals with Huntington’s disease against 57 healthy controls. Targeting the basal ganglia, the scans revealed reduced apparent cell-body density, enlarged cell bodies and increased inter-cellular space in patients, while the thalamus showed no such changes. These alterations echo post-mortem studies that document loss of specific striatal neurons and reactive glial enlargement.

Sandi measurements were linked to clinical severity scores and poorer finger-tapping results, and together with one outlet explained up to 63 % of regional brain shrinkage. Although promising as a non-invasive biomarker for monitoring disease-modifying treatments, the method still needs longitudinal validation and adaptation for routine clinical MRI systems. Its capacity to probe cellular damage may also be useful for other neurodegenerative diseases.