# Quantitative MR Imaging of Vascular Factors in Parkinsons Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $395,031

## Abstract

Abstract
Vascular health has been shown to be an important factor in the development of
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Hence, the ability to
measure reliably and quantitatively early hemodynamic changes in the aging brain can be
a powerful tool for diagnosing, studying, and developing treatments.
Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging can yield quantitative perfusion images
without the use of contrast agents. We propose that combining new ASL techniques, such as
Velocity Selective Inversion (VSI) labeling pulses and magnetic resonance fingerprinting
(MRF) with deep learning regression methods will allow quantification of multiple
hemodynamic parameters beyond perfusion, thus providing a much more nuanced picture of
the state of the vasculature. We also expect that the new technique will offer dramatic
improvements in SNR, specificity and sensitivity of ASL, and that the proposed techniques will
have many other applications in research and in the clinic.
We propose to use these techniques to fill the knowledge gap regarding the relationship between
vascular changes and Parkinson’s disease and its symptoms, particularly fatigue, whose
pathogenesis is not well understood. If we are successful in this application, future work will use
the hemodynamic parameters of interest as biomarkers to assess risk of neurodegeneration,
determine therapeutic targets, and guide in the development of new therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10438882
- **Project number:** 5R01NS112233-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Luis Hernandez-Garcia
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $395,031
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10438882

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10438882, Quantitative MR Imaging of Vascular Factors in Parkinsons Disease (5R01NS112233-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10438882. Licensed CC0.

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