title: Nigrostriatal dysfunction in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism.
abstract: The pathomechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with parkinsonism (ALS-P) has not been clarified. We report two patients with ALS-P who showed dysfunction of the nigrostriatal system. The first patient showed tremor dominant, asymmetric parkinsonism which was more severe on the right side, while the second patient exhibited predominant freezing of gait. Both patients showed reduced uptake of [¹⁸F] N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2ß-carbon ethoxy-3ß-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (¹⁸F-FP-CIT) in the posterior parts of bilateral putamina on positron emission tomography (PET). Based on our PET findings, we suggest that presynaptic nigrostriatal dysfunction may be involved in the pathomechanism of parkinsonism combined with ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inje University Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jae Seung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myoung C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bum Joon
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang-Kuk
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014202:Tremor / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014326:Tropanes
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014326:Tropanes; C087552:2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D007980:Levodopa