Longitudinal study of cerebral blood flow SPECT in Parkinson's disease with dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies.
BACKGROUND
People with Parkinson's disease (PD) have an increased risk of developing dementia (PDD), which often has clinical features similar to dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Whilst perfusion studies have shown parieto-occipital hypoperfusion in DLB and PDD relative to controls, there have not been any longitudinal studies of perfusion changes in PDD and DLB.


METHODS
In this study, we measured brain perfusion using Tc99m HMPAO SPECT over one year in 17 PDD, 18 DLB and 34 healthy subjects. We used SPM99 to compare perfusion changes in the two dementia groups against the control group.


RESULTS
We did not see any reductions in perfusion in either of the dementia groups. However, in the DLB, but not PDD group, there was a significant increase in putamen perfusion relative to controls over the year. In both DLB and PDD groups, there was a correlation between striatal perfusion increase over the year, and worsening of parkinsonism. Perfusion changes were not secondary to changes in antiparkinsonian medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in striatal perfusion may be a compensatory change related to decreasing striatal dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra in PDD and DLB, consistent with the increased predominance of rigidity over tremor symptoms in these groups compared with non-demented PD.
Firbank
Michael J
MJ
The Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. m.j.firbank@ncl.ac.uk
Burn
David J
DJ
McKeith
Ian G
IG
O'Brien
John T
JT
D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011581:Psychological Tests; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007980:Levodopa