Normal dopaminergic and serotonergic metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid and blood of restless legs syndrome patients.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood obtained from 22 untreated or scarcely treated patients with moderate to severe restless legs syndrome (RLS; mean age, 58.6 +/- 13 years) and 11 control subjects (mean age, 56.6 +/- 12.9 years) were investigated for biogenic amines between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. We did not find any significant differences in the CSF concentrations of homovanillic acid, 3-ortho- methyl-dopa, levodopa, 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, tetrahydrobiopterin, dihydrobiopterin, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and neopterin. In addition, serotonin in whole blood and plasma activity of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase were all normal. Our results suggest that dopaminergic and serotonergic release is not substantially affected in RLS.
Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany. Stiasny@staff.uni-marburg.de
Karin
K
Stiasny-Kolster
J Carsten
JC
Möller
Johannes
J
Zschocke
Oliver
O
Bandmann
Werner
W
Cassel
Wolfgang H
WH
Oertel
Georg F
GF
Hoffmann
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
D001679:Biogenic Amines; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine