Striatal uptake of the dopamine reuptake ligand [11C]beta-CFT is reduced in Alzheimer's disease assessed by positron emission tomography.
Striatal dopamine reuptake sites were studied with PET in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A cocaine analogue, [11C]beta-CFT was used as a radioligand. In patients with AD, the reduction in [11C]beta-CFT uptake was about 20% from the age-adjusted mean value in control subjects, both in the putamen (p = 0.002) and in the caudate nucleus (p = 0.002). Thus, the putamen and the caudate nucleus were equally affected, in contrast to Parkinson's disease, which shows predominantly putaminal reduction. We found that the smaller the [11C]beta-CFT uptake in the putamen or in the caudate nucleus, the more severe the extrapyramidal symptoms. In healthy volunteers (nine women, six men; aged 23 to 70 years), [11C]beta-CFT uptake was reduced with age, both in the putamen (r = -0.70, p < 0.01) and in the caudate nucleus (r = -0.77, p < 0.001). The average decline per decade was 4.4% in the putamen and 4.7% in the caudate nucleus. We conclude that the brain dopaminergic system is affected in AD because the striatal uptake of the dopamine reuptake ligand [11C]beta-CFT is decreased. This reduction in [11C]beta-CFT uptake correlates with the severity of the extrapyramidal symptoms of the patients.
Rinne
J O
JO
Department of Neurology, University of Turku, Finland.
Sahlberg
N
N
Ruottinen
H
H
Någren
K
K
Lehikoinen
P
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D008024:Ligands; C021279:(1R-(exo,exo))-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-8-methyl-8- azabicyclo(3.2.1)octane-2-carboxylic acid, methyl ester; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine