Monitoring neuroprotection and restorative therapies in Parkinson's disease with PET.
In this article the role of functional imaging (PET and SPECT) as a surrogate marker for following the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) is discussed. The potential value of PET and SPECT for assessing the efficacy of putative neuroprotective agents in PD is considered and a review of 18F-dopa PET findings in transplantation trials involving implantation of human and procine fetal mesencephalic tissue is presented. It is concluded that functional imaging provides a valuable adjunct to clinical assessment when judging the efficacy of neuroprotective and restorative approaches to PD.
Brooks
D J
DJ
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. david.brooks@csc.mrc.ac.uk
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents