Striatal dopaminergic D(2) receptor density measured by [(123)I]iodobenzamide SPECT in the prediction of treatment outcome of alcohol-dependent patients.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to study striatal dopaminergic dopamine 2 (D(2)) receptors as a biological marker of early relapse in detoxified alcoholic patients by using [(123)I]iodobenzamide ([123I]IBZM) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).


METHODS
The authors performed [(123)I]IBZM SPECT on 21 alcohol-dependent inpatients during detoxification and on nine healthy volunteers, using the ratios of basal ganglia to occipital lobes for SPECT quantification. Depending on treatment outcome 3 months after hospital discharge, patients were determined to be relapsers or nonrelapsers.


RESULTS
Alcohol-dependent subjects with early relapse (within 3 months after hospital discharge) showed a higher uptake of [(123)I]IBZM in the basal ganglia during detoxification (mean ratio=1.83, SD=0.9) than patients who did not have early relapse (mean ratio=1.69, SD=0.11).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that low levels of dopamine, or an increased density of free striatal dopaminergic D(2) receptors, could be related to early relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. Therefore, [(123)I]IBZM SPECT could become a biological marker of vulnerability to relapse for alcoholic patients in recovery.
Guardia
J
J
Department of Psychiatry (Addictive Behavior Unit) and Nuclear Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. 4204@hsp.sant-pau.es
Catafau
A M
AM
Batlle
F
F
Martín
J C
JC
Segura
L
L
Gonzalvo
B
B
Prat
G
G
Carrió
I
I
Casas
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D001549:Benzamides; D015415:Biomarkers; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001549:Benzamides; D015415:Biomarkers; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; C055743:3-iodo-2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-N-((1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)benzamide