U. Walter
University of Rostock, Department of Neurology – Rostock, Germany

Transcranial B-mode sonography (TCS) is a non-invasive, low-cost, short-duration neuroimaging method that allows high-resolution imaging of deep brain structures in patients with inflammatory and degenerative brain diseases. Hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra (SN), a TCS findings present in about 90% of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), is already present in presymptomatic disease stages. SN hyperechogenicity has been demonstrated to correlate with iron accumulation in a number of brain disorders but also with microglia activation.