title: PET study of brain acetylcholinesterase in cerebellar degenerative disorders.
abstract: To elucidate characteristic changes of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in cerebellar degenerative disorders. Eight patients with the cerebellar variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-C), 7 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type-3 (SCA-3), 3 patients with SCA-6, and 13 healthy age-matched volunteers participated in this study. Brain AChE activity was measured by [(11)C] N-methylpiperidin-4-yl propionate PET in all subjects. Brain AChE activities were significantly decreased in the thalamus (-27%) and the posterior lobe of cerebellar cortex (-36%) in patients with MSA-C and in the thalamus (-23%) in patients with SCA-3 compared with healthy controls (P < 0.01). Thalamic AChE activities of SCA-3 patients were negatively correlated with the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale motor subscore (P < 0.001). AChE activities were not significantly altered in the cerebral cortex in any disease group. Reduction of AChE activities in the thalamus and cerebellum in MSA and in the thalamus in SCA-3 suggest that cholinergic modulating drugs may have a role in the treatment of ataxia and other symptoms in these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shinotoh
authors.forename: Kimihito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aotsuka
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yasuno
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tsuneyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushi
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanada
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Irie
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017827:Machado-Joseph Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010880:Piperidines; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011422:Propionates; D020754:Spinocerebellar Ataxias / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; C100519:N-methyl-4-piperidyl propionate; D010880:Piperidines; D011422:Propionates; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase