title: Severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms and dopamine transporter levels in dementia with Lewy bodies: a 123I-FP-CIT SPECT study.
abstract: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are frequent in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with (123)I-labeled ligand N-delta-(fluoropropyl)-2 beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropene ((123)I-FP-CIT), which reliably measures midbrain dopaminergic dysfunction, has provided important evidence on the neurobiological substrate of some of these symptoms including apathy and depression. However, little is known on DAT levels and other distressing symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, (123)I-FP-CIT imaging was performed in 18 well-characterized patients with DLB, and striatal DAT levels were correlated with the frequency/severity ratings of several neuropsychiatric symptoms. A wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms could be observed in the sample. Significant correlations were observed between decreased striatal DAT levels and visual hallucinations. Although there were no correlations between striatal DAT levels and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, when considering the putamen and the caudate nucleus separately, delusions, depression, and apathy were inversely correlated to decreased caudate DAT levels. The seresults provide intriguing evidence on the involvement of the mesocortical dopaminergic pathways in neuropsychiatric symptoms in DLB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. francesco_roselli@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roselli
authors.forename: Nicola M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pisciotta
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perneczky
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennelli
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aniello
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De Caro
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrannini
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tartaglione
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Defazio
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Livrea
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003702:Delusions / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014326:Tropanes
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014326:Tropanes; C087552:2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D004298:Dopamine