Objective To explore the application values of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the diagnosis of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods The clinical data of 62 PD patients (the PD group) treated in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, and another 62 healthy volunteers with normal physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group, and the two groups were given MRI plain scan and DTI check. The fractional anisotropy (FA values) and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC values) of regions of interest such as substantia nigra, red nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, caudate nucleus, thalamus and frontal white matter were compared between the two groups. Results The FA values of the substantia nigra and putamen in the PD group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the FA values of regions of interest such as the red nucleus, globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, thalamus and frontal white matter between the PD group and the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the ADC values of substantia nigra, red nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, caudate nucleus, thalamus and frontal white matter between the PD group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The FA values of substantia nigra and putamen are helpful for the diagnosis of PD. DTI examination can provide a valuable objective basis for the pathological mechanism and early diagnosis of PD.