Hyperechogenicity of substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease – Searching for genetic predictors

In spite of extensive research the cause of Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, is still unclear. Several genes have been indentified in the last years to be related to the pathogenesis of PD, and a complex interplay between genes, environment and aging has been suggested. However, these genes are only associated with a minority of PD cases and the exact gene – environment interaction still remains to be elucidated. Using transcranial sonography (TCS) the specific echofeature „hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra (SN)“ may be visualized in more than 90% of patients with i…