Abstract
Parkinsonian symptoms are associated with a number of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy. Pathological evidence has shown clearly that these disorders are associated with a loss of neurons, particularly in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) now are able to visualise and quantify changes in cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, and dopaminergic function produced by parkinsonian disorders. Both PET and SPECT have become important tools in the differential diagnosis of these diseases, and may have sufficient sensitivity to detect neuronal changes before the onset of clinical symptoms. Imaging is now being utilised to elucidate the genetic contribution to Parkinson's disease, and in longitudinal studies to assess the efficacy and mode of action of neuroprotective drug and surgical treatments. This review summarises recent applications of SPECT imaging in the study of parkinsonian disorders, with particular reference to the increasing role it is playing in the understanding, diagnosis and management of these diseases.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder which affects over one million people in North America, and is associated with clinical symptoms of motor deficit, such as tremor, rigidity, hypokinesia and bradykinesia [101]
This review summarises recent applications of SPECT imaging in the study of parkinsonian disorders, with particular reference to the increasing role it is playing in the understanding, diagnosis and management of these diseases
It is one of a family of such diseases associated with the loss of centralnervous system neurons, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA)
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) (paralysis agitans) is a neurodegenerative disorder which affects over one million people in North America, and is associated with clinical symptoms of motor deficit, such as tremor, rigidity, hypokinesia and bradykinesia [101] It is one of a family of such diseases associated with the loss of centralnervous system neurons, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). P.D. Acton and P.D. Mozley / Single photon emission tomography imaging in parkinsonian disorders: a review ical symptoms of PD and essential tremor can lead occasionally to misdiagnosis, PET and SPECT studies have shown clearly there is no loss of dopaminergic neurons in patients with essential tremor [13,26, 88]. PET has been used for longer and in more applications than SPECT, singlephoton imaging is beginning to make important advances in the field, and in those applications where PET still dominates, the potential contributions from SPECT have been described
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