Contribution of 7 Tesla MRI of the Hypothalamus in the Diagnosis of Type 1 Narcolepsy: Pilot Study

This study is part of the research on type 1 narcolepsy, a neurological pathology affecting mostly young subjects. The only biomarker currently available is the hypocretin assay, which shows a level below 110 pg/mL. However, the interpretation of this biomarker has limitations: the test is not widely available and it is rarely performed by practitioners. Even when performed, the interpretation of the level may not be consistent with the phenotype compatible with type 1 narcolepsy.

This study therefore aims to develop new tools to reduce the diagnostic delay. This would be the first study with 7T MRI that could achieve a level of spatial resolution sufficient to highlight volume changes in small brain structures such as the lateral hypothalamus whose narcolepsy-induced changes are not detected by lower resolution MRI.