The use of SPECT in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
This article looks briefly at the latest efforts to develop an objective diagnostic marker for Parkinson's disease on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Traditionally, the diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease has been based on clinical criteria. However, these predict the pathologic diagnosis in only 80% of patients suspected of having the disease. Since a correct diagnosis is essential for prognosis, effective treatment and research, the search has continued for objective markers. The latest developments in nuclear medicine have come the closest in making such a marker clinically available. These developments are based on SPECT and positron-emission tomographic imaging of the basal ganglia using specific radio-labelled dopaminergic-receptor tracers. SPECT radiotracers target either the pre- or postsynaptic component of the dopaminergic system in the basal ganglia. These techniques show great promise in the early diagnosis of PD as well as in measuring its progression.
University of Toronto, ON.
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Emami-Avedon
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Ichise
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Lang
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon