title: Positron emission tomography in degenerative disorders of the dopaminergic system.
abstract: 21 patients who had Parkinson's disease (PD), PD plus dementia of Alzheimer type (PDAT) or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), were studied with positron emission tomography (PET) using (18F)-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). In one patient with strictly unilateral PD side differences in striatal dopa uptake were studied with 6-(18F)fluoro-L-dopa (F-dopa). In patients with PD PET with FDG did not show any significant change in regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (rCMR(Glu)). In PDAT glucose metabolism was generally reduced, the most severe decrease was found in parietal cortex. The metabolic pattern was similar to that typically found in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the patient with strictly unilateral PD rCMR(Glu) was normal, F-dopa PET, however, revealed a distinct reduction of dopa uptake in the contralateral putamen. In PSP glucose metabolism was significantly decreased in subcortical regions (caudatum, putamen and brainstem) and in frontal cortex. Thus PET demonstrated a clear difference of metabolic pattern between PDAT and PSP.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Köln, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karbe
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Holthoff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herholz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wienhard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Heiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C029112:5-fluorodopa; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose; D004298:Dopamine