title: Myocardial MIBG scintigraphy may predict the course of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy is a well established nuclear medicine method to support the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. In this study we examined the predictive value of the MIBG scintigraphy concerning the severity and progression of the parkinsonian motor symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 40 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (age 56 ± 9 years, Hoehn and Yahr stage 1.4 ± 0.7, mean ± standard deviation). All patients underwent a baseline visit and a follow-up visit 3-8 years (5.3 ± 1.6 years) after the baseline visit. (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy 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 motor part of the Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The myocardial MIBG uptake correlated significantly with the annual progress of rigidity (r=-0.41, p<0.05; Pearson's correlation) and axial symptoms (r=-0.49, p<0.01). There was no significant correlation (p>0.05) between the initial myocardial MIBG uptake and the annual progress of the other motor symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MIBG scintigraphy may predict the velocity of progress of rigidity and axial symptoms in the following 3-8 years. Such a prediction is not possible for the other motor symptoms resting tremor, postural tremor and bradykinesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Saarland University, Kirrberger Strasse, D-66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dorschner
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farmakis
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
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: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiegel
mesh_terms: D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine