DaTQUANT: The Future of Diagnosing Parkinson Disease

Idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurologic condition that affects the dopamine transporters in the substantia nigra of the brain. Currently, more than 10 million people are living with this disease worldwide, with thousands of newly diagnosed and undiagnosed cases added every year. The disease is difficult to differentiate from other similar disorders, as symptoms widely vary and can mimic other conditions. Classic PD symptoms may look similar to essential tremor and other parkinsonian syndromes. The ¹²³I-ioflupane dopamine transporter (DaT) protocol differentiates PD from essential tremor through in vivo testing with SPECT imaging. The DaT protocol commonly relies on a semiquantitative analysis and visual interpretations of the images, which may produce inaccurate results due to human error. DaTQUANT software (GE Healthcare) was created in 2013 as an adjunct processing tool with advanced quantitative uptake methods and a designated normals database for a more accurate assessment of a patient's case. DaTQUANT has proven to be a vital protocol component for an accurate differentiation of PD from essential tremor. Current use of the software has been rather limited, so a greater push for education and implementation will be key for its success.