title: FP-CIT SPECT does not predict the progression of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  FP-CIT (fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-4-iodophenyl-nortroptane) SPECT is a well-established nuclear medicine method to support the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we examined the prognostic value of FP-CIT SPECT concerning the PD motor symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 38 PD patients (age 57 ± 7 years, Hoehn & Yahr stage 1.6 ± 0.8, mean ± SD) underwent a baseline visit and a follow-up visit 3-7 years (5.2 ± 1.3 years) after the baseline visit. Cerebral [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT was performed only once at the baseline visit. At both visits the motor symptoms bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, postural tremor and axial symptoms were quantified by means of the UPDRS motor scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant correlation between the initial striatal FP-CIT uptake and the annual progress of any motor symptom (= difference [(motor symptom at follow-up visit) - (motor symptom at baseline visit)]/time (in years) between assessments).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The initial striatal FP-CIT SPECT does not predict the velocity of progress of PD motor symptoms within an interval of 3-7 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubbuch
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farmakis
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.forename: Carl-Martin
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kirsch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dillmann
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiegel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018476:Hypokinesia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009127:Muscle Rigidity / Q000209:etiology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011379:Prognosis; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014202:Tremor / Q000209:etiology