TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of dopamine agonist therapy on dopamine transporter imaging in Parkinson's disease
AU - Ahlskog, J. Eric
AU - Uitti, Ryan J.
AU - O'Connor, Michael K.
AU - Maraganore, Demetrius M.
AU - Matsumoto, Joseph Y.
AU - Stark, Kathy F.
AU - Turk, Margaret F.
AU - Burnett, Omer L.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with the dopamine transporter ligand, [123I] β-CIT (2β-carboxymethoxy-3β-[4-iodophenyl] tropane), has been proposed as a means of measuring Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. To be useful in this role, however, [123I] β-CIT imaging should not be influenced by the medications used to treat PD, including the dopamine agonist drugs such as pergolide. We assessed the effect of adjunctive pergolide administration on [123I] β-CIT uptake in 12 patients with PD, who were being treated with levodopa, initiating pergolide therapy for motor fluctuations. Patients underwent [123I] β-CIT imaging at baseline, subsequently while on pergolide therapy (6 weeks), and again 4 weeks after pergolide wash-out. Uptake in the striatum was averaged for the two sides and expressed as (striatum - occipital)/occipital, with similar calculations for putamen and caudate. Consistent with PD, the patients' mean striatal and putamen uptake ratios at baseline were significantly less (p < 0.001) than the mean values from 26 normal control subjects of similar age. During pergolide treatment, the striatal and putamen [123I] β-CIT uptake ratios were each statistically similar to baseline, although there was a slight trend toward an increased striatal value (8% higher on pergolide; p = 0.105). Caudate [123I] β-CIT uptake was 11% higher on pergolide therapy (nominal p = 0.042, but not significant when adjusted for multiple comparisons: p = 0.126). After pergolide washout, the striatal, putamen, and caudate uptake ratios did not differ from baseline. Therefore, we found that pergolide therapy did not significantly affect [123I] β-CIT SPECT imaging but we cannot exclude a small influence.
AB - Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with the dopamine transporter ligand, [123I] β-CIT (2β-carboxymethoxy-3β-[4-iodophenyl] tropane), has been proposed as a means of measuring Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. To be useful in this role, however, [123I] β-CIT imaging should not be influenced by the medications used to treat PD, including the dopamine agonist drugs such as pergolide. We assessed the effect of adjunctive pergolide administration on [123I] β-CIT uptake in 12 patients with PD, who were being treated with levodopa, initiating pergolide therapy for motor fluctuations. Patients underwent [123I] β-CIT imaging at baseline, subsequently while on pergolide therapy (6 weeks), and again 4 weeks after pergolide wash-out. Uptake in the striatum was averaged for the two sides and expressed as (striatum - occipital)/occipital, with similar calculations for putamen and caudate. Consistent with PD, the patients' mean striatal and putamen uptake ratios at baseline were significantly less (p < 0.001) than the mean values from 26 normal control subjects of similar age. During pergolide treatment, the striatal and putamen [123I] β-CIT uptake ratios were each statistically similar to baseline, although there was a slight trend toward an increased striatal value (8% higher on pergolide; p = 0.105). Caudate [123I] β-CIT uptake was 11% higher on pergolide therapy (nominal p = 0.042, but not significant when adjusted for multiple comparisons: p = 0.126). After pergolide washout, the striatal, putamen, and caudate uptake ratios did not differ from baseline. Therefore, we found that pergolide therapy did not significantly affect [123I] β-CIT SPECT imaging but we cannot exclude a small influence.
KW - Dopamine agonist
KW - Dopamine transporter
KW - Parkinson's disease
KW - Pergolide
KW - SPECT
KW - [I] β-CIT
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032721931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032721931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/1531-8257(199911)14:6<940::AID-MDS1005>3.0.CO;2-Y
DO - 10.1002/1531-8257(199911)14:6<940::AID-MDS1005>3.0.CO;2-Y
M3 - Article
C2 - 10584667
AN - SCOPUS:0032721931
SN - 0885-3185
VL - 14
SP - 940
EP - 946
JO - Movement Disorders
JF - Movement Disorders
IS - 6
ER -