title: Nocturnal myoclonus syndrome (periodic movements in sleep) related to central dopamine D2-receptor alteration.
abstract: The nocturnal myoclonus syndrome (NMS) consists of stereotyped, repetitive jerks of the lower limbs that occur during sleep or wakefulness. NMS is often related with restless-legs syndrome (RLS) and can cause severe sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness. The efficacy of dopamine agonists in the treatment points to a dopaminergic dysfunction in NMS. We investigated the central dopamine D2-receptor occupancy with [123I] labeled (S)-2-hydroxy-3-iodo-6-methoxy-([1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl]methyl) benzamide (IBZM) (a highly selective CNS D2 dopamine receptor ligand) ([123I]IBZM) and single photon emission tomography (SPET) in 20 patients with NMS and in 10 healthy controls. In most of the patients with NMS there was a lower [123I]IBZM binding in the striatal structures compared to controls. The results indicate that NMS is related to a decrease of central D2-receptor occupancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Staedt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stoppe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kögler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riemann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajak
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Munz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Emrich
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rüther
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001665:Binding Sites; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014851:Wakefulness
chemical_list: D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2