title: Cardiac MIBG scintigraphy in Primary Progressive Freezing Gait.
abstract: Freezing of gait (FOG) generally occurs as a late manifestation of Parkinson's Disease (PD). FOG, however, can present in isolation, constituting the so-called "Primary Progressive Freezing Gait"(PPFG). Myocardial (123)Metaiodiobenzylguanidine (MIBG) enables the assessment of postganglionic sympathetic cardiac nerve terminals. MIBG uptake reflects sympathetic system integrity, and reduced myocardial uptake of the tracer has been observed in nearly all patients with PD. We investigated MIBG uptake in 7 patients with PPFG, 14 patients with mild PD, and 6 patients with advanced PD and FOG (PD-FOG), and 18 control subjects. Our study shows that myocardial MIBG uptake was normal in all patients with PPFG (H/M ratio: mean+/-SD, 1.85+/-0.11 early; 1.71+/-0.15 delayed) and in the controls (H/M ratio: mean+/-SD, 1.94+/-0.18 early; 2.02+/-0.19 delayed) whereas it was markedly decreased in the patients with mild and advanced PD (H/M ratio: mean+/-SD, PD: 1.17+/-0.02 early; 1.16+/-0.02 delayed; PD-FOG: 1.22+/-0.10 early; 1.08+/-0.06 delayed). Our findings demonstrate that cardiac sympathetic denervation did not occur in patients with PPFG, confirming that PPFG and PD are distinct diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salsone
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Novellino
authors.forename: Giuseppe Lucio
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Cascini
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paglionico
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cipullo
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Condino
authors.forename: Gennarina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arabia
authors.forename: Letterio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morgante
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrone
mesh_terms: D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D020235:Gait Apraxia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012016:Reference Values; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D007980:Levodopa