Striatal dopamine D2 receptors in patients with narcolepsy measured with PET and 11C-raclopride.
We investigated in vivo D2 receptor binding using 11C-raclopride and PET in the striatum of 17 subjects with the narcoleptic syndrome. Putamen and caudate nucleus 11C-raclopride uptake was comparable in the total patient group and controls, and the tracer uptake was similar in the HLA-DR2-positive (n = 12) and HLA-DR2-negative (n = 5) narcoleptic subjects. There was a significant increase in 11C-raclopride uptake in the putamen of narcoleptic subjects older than 31 years (n = 11) when compared with age-matched controls (n = 15). There was no evidence of involvement of the striatal D2 dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in the basic pathophysiology of the narcoleptic syndrome despite an age-related increase in putaminal 11C-raclopride uptake.
PET Department, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland.
N
N
Khan
A
A
Antonini
D
D
Parkes
M J
MJ
Dahlitz
K
K
Meier-Ewert
A
A
Weindl
K L
KL
Leenders
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020891:Raclopride; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012457:Salicylamides; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D012457:Salicylamides; D020891:Raclopride