title: Midbrain SERT in degenerative parkinsonisms: a 123I-FP-CIT SPECT study.
abstract: SPECT imaging is widely used for the differential diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonisms by exploiting the high affinitiy of the radiotracer (123)I-FP-CIT for the dopamine transporter. Reduced levels of DAT are found in Parkinson Disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) compared to in Essential Tremor (ET) and Healthy Controls (HC). However, the extent of the neurodegenerative process may extend beyond nigrostriatal system. We have exploited the affinity of the same radiotracer (123)I-FP-CIT for the serotonin transporter to investigate SERT levels in the midbrain of patients with PD, DLB, PSP, and ET compared to HC. Using MRI images as anatomical templates for midbrain uptake quantification, we found a mild decrease in SERT levels in PD compared to ET and HC, with marked inter-individual variability; on the other side, PSP and DLB patients displayed markedly reduced to undetectable levels of SERT, respectively. These findings show that the neurodegenerative process affects serotoninergic neurons in parkinsonisms, with much more severe involvement in DLB than in PD patients, despite the comparable loss of striatal DAT. SERT-dependent (123)I-FP-CIT uptake may allow a more comprehensive assessment of neurochemical disturbances in degenerative parkinsonisms and may have a value for differential diagnosis.
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: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennelli
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aniello
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gigante
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: Artor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niccoli-Asabella
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Defazio
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Livrea
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins