title: Presynaptic nigrostriatal function in genetically tested asymptomatic relatives from the pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration family.
abstract: Pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration (PPND) is a dominantly inherited disorder with parkinsonism. We performed PET with [18F]fluorodopa (FD) and, later, gene testing in 12 asymptomatic relatives at risk from a family with PPND and compared the striatal FD uptake constant (Ki) in them with 4 symptomatic individuals and 10 normal control subjects. Four relatives with positive linkage had a significantly reduced Ki from the normal control subjects but to a lesser degree than the symptomatic patients. The mean Ki in the relatives with negative linkage (n = 8) did not differ from normal control subjects. In conclusion, we identified reduced dopaminergic function in asymptomatic relatives with positive genetic linkage from the PPND family. Most of the reduction in this disorder occurs in the fifth decade, when the disease manifests clinically.
authors.affiliation: Neurodegenerative Disorders Center, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kishore
authors.forename: Z K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Wszolek
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de la Fuente-Fernandez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arwert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wijker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulzer
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Calne
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vingerhoets
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011149:Pons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed