title: Dopamine D2 receptors quantified in vivo in human narcolepsy.
abstract: Assays in brain tissues from humans suffering from narcolepsy, and from genetically narcoleptic dogs have suggested that dopamine function may be disturbed in this condition. We have used the specific D2 receptor ligand N-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-spiperone and positron tomography to study a group of 6 well-characterized medication-free, HLA-DR2 DRW15 DW6-positive narcoleptic patients and a group of age- and sex-matched control individuals during life. We found no difference in striatal D2 receptor binding between these two groups. These results suggest that narcolepsy is not associated with alterations in D2 receptor density and affinity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: List
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moldofsky
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Firnau
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Szechtman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garnett
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nahmias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013134:Spiperone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; C053125:N-(3-fluoropropyl)spiroperidol; D013134:Spiperone