Loss of dopamine transporter binding in Parkinson's disease follows a single exponential rather than linear decline

J Schwarz, A Storch, W Koch, O Pogarell… - Journal of Nuclear …, 2004 - Soc Nuclear Med
J Schwarz, A Storch, W Koch, O Pogarell, PE Radau, K Tatsch
Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 2004Soc Nuclear Med
Imaging of l-dopa uptake or dopamine transporter binding can monitor the progression of
Parkinson's disease. Most follow-up studies have provided data best fitted by a linear
decline of their outcome measure. However, in these studies, patients were repeatedly
scanned during their first years after a diagnosis had been established. Methods: We
followed 6 patients with early Parkinson's disease for 7.5 y using 123I-labeled N-(3-
iodopropene-2-yl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane and SPECT. Results: Loss …
Imaging of l-dopa uptake or dopamine transporter binding can monitor the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Most follow-up studies have provided data best fitted by a linear decline of their outcome measure. However, in these studies, patients were repeatedly scanned during their first years after a diagnosis had been established.
Methods
We followed 6 patients with early Parkinson’s disease for 7.5 y using 123I-labeled N-(3-iodopropene-2-yl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane and SPECT.
Results
Loss of dopamine transporter binding was best fitted using a single exponential approximation. A 63% loss (τ [time constant tau]) was calculated as 5.18 ± 7.62 y in the putamen and 10.62 ± 31.4 y in the caudate nucleus when a 3-parameter fit was used.
Conclusion
These data approximate, for what is to our knowledge the first time, the decline of dopamine transporter binding as expected in biologic systems and may allow for models that correct for exponential decline to be developed and for disease-modifying effects in patients with advanced disease to be determined.
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging