title: Dilated Virchow-Robin Space and Dopamine Transporter Imaging in the Striatum of Patients with Parkinsonism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The radiological and clinical significance of a dilated Virchow-Robin space (dVRS) in the striatum (STR) remains unclear. We investigated the role of dVRS in STR on parkinsonism and dopamine transporter positron emission tomography (DaT-PET) findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with parkinsonism who underwent both brain magnetic resonance imaging and DaT-PET were included. Clinical status was evaluated by Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage, Korean-Mini Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Korea (MoCA-K), and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). dVRS was assessed by semi-quantitative and quantitative scales in each of the three segments of STR (caudate nuclei, anterior and posterior putamen) and was expressed as a dVRS score. DaT-PET was qualitatively assessed as either normal or abnormal in each segment. The relationship between dVRS and DaT-PET abnormality (ab-DaT-PET) was designated in each segment as either concordant or discordant. A concordant segment was defined by the presence of dVRS with ab-DaT-PET [Concordance rate (CR)=number of concordant segments/number of concordant and discordant segments].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients were included. There was no significant correlation between the presence of dVRS and ab-DaT-PET. The mean CR was 0.39. CR was not significantly correlated with any clinical or neuroimaging scales. The dVRS score was significantly correlated with K-MMSE, MoCA-K, and FAB (r=-0.675, -0.847, and -0.868, respectively) but not with HY stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  dVRS in STR played no significant role on dopaminergic innervation revealed by DaT-PET and made little contribution to clinical parkinsonism; however, it was correlated with cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,College of Medicine,Kyung Hee University,Seoul,Korea.
authors.forename: Dokyung
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nuclear Medicine,College of Medicine,Kyung Hee University,Seoul,Korea.
authors.forename: Il Ki
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,College of Medicine,Kyung Hee University,Seoul,Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Beom
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D056910:Republic of Korea
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Dilated Virchow-Robin Space; Dopamine Transporter; Frontal executive dysfunction.; Parkinsonism; Positron Emission Tomography; Striatum