title: Sleep disorders in Machado-Joseph disease: a dopamine transporter imaging study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sleep disorders, especially restless legs syndrome (RLS) and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), are common in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), and a possible underlying dopaminergic dysfunction is implicated. This study assessed the relationship between sleep disorders in MJD and dopamine transporter (DAT) densities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients with MJD and twenty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. MJD patients underwent clinical sleep evaluation and polysomnography. SPECT with [(99m)Tc]-TRODAT-1, was performed in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DAT densities were significantly reduced in MJD group when compared to controls. No significant correlation was found between DAT densities and RLS or RBD in MJD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study failed to demonstrate a clear correlation between sleep disorders and DAT densities in MJD patients, hence suggesting that extrastriatal and non-presynaptic dopamine pathways could be implicated in MJD-related sleep disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. jlpedroso.neuro@gmail.com
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pedroso
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Braga-Neto
authors.forename: André C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Felício
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minett
authors.forename: Elton
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Lucila Bizari Fernandes do
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Luciane Bizari C
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Lívia Almeida
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Marcelo Queiroz
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Hoexter
authors.forename: Antônio José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: da Rocha
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bressan
authors.forename: Gilmar Fernandes do
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Orlando Graziani Povoas
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Barsottini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017827:Machado-Joseph Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020189:Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D017286:Polysomnography; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014326:Tropanes
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D014326:Tropanes; C104196:technetium Tc 99m TRODAT-1