MDS 2021 | Advancing neuroimaging capabilities: visualizing tau and α-synuclein in parkinsonian syndromes

Hitoshi Shimada, MD, PhD, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan, discusses developments in neuroimaging that are shedding more light on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related disorders. Dr Shimada talks on the development of PBB3, a PET ligand that can detect tau deposits in the brains of living individuals. Imaging tau using PET could serve as a diagnostic biomarker in atypical parkinsonian disorders, enable visualization of pathological severity, and provide a means of assessing treatment that targets tau burden. Dr Shimada also discusses ongoing work to develop a ligand for the visualization of α-synuclein in PD and dementia with Lewy bodies. This interview took place during the 2021 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.