Assessing whole brain perfusion changes in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the regional cerebral perfusion in patients with idiopathic REM behavior disorder (RBD) in order to establish the topography of networks involved.


METHODS
We performed cerebral blood flow evaluation using (99m)Tc-Ethylene Cysteinate Dimer (ECD) SPECT on eight patients with polysomnographically confirmed RBD and nine age-matched controls. Comparisons were made using SPM2.


RESULTS
We found increased perfusion in the pons and putamen bilaterally and in the right hippocampus. In addition, we observed a decreased perfusion in frontal (Brodmann area [BA] 4, 6, 10, 43, 44, 47 bilaterally and left BA 9, 46) and temporo-parietal (BA 13, 22, 43 bilaterally and left BA 7, 19, 20, 21, 39, 40, 41, 42) cortices.


CONCLUSIONS
Perfusional abnormalities in patients with REM behavior disorder were located in the brainstem, striatum, and cortex. These abnormalities are consistent with the anatomic metabolic profile of Parkinson disease.
Mazza
S
S
Centre d'Etude du Sommeil et des Rythmes Biologiques, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 Boul. Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H4J 1C5.
Soucy
J P
JP
Gravel
P
P
Michaud
M
M
Postuma
R
R
Massicotte-Marquez
J
J
Decary
A
A
Montplaisir
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017286:Polysomnography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D020187:REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; C073806:technetium Tc 99m-ethylenedicysteine; D003545:Cysteine