Dopamine transporter availability based on white matter hyperintensity during early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease
Rui Zuo1, Shuang Liu1, Wenbo Li1
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Purpose:
To evaluate the association of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) with dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in patients with early to mid-stage parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).
Methods:
The clinical and imaging data of 55 patients were collected, including 38 PD and 17 MSA patients and the clinical features of the two groups were compared. DAT specific binding ratio (SBR) were compared between severe and non-severe WMH groups, and between PD and MSA groups. The relationships of WMH with DAT availability and basic clinical characteristics were analyzed.
Results:
Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age was the only significant variable showing correlation WMH. Age was the only clinical variable significantly correlated with WMH in PD patients (coefficient for periventricular white matter hyperintensity: 0.430, P = 0.007; coefficient for deep white matter hyperintensity: 0.381, P = 0.018). There was no significant correlation between WMH and SBRs and age in MSA patients. The SBR of the caudate nucleus and anterior putamen was significantly lower in the severe WMH group of patients than in the non-severe WMH group (P < 0.05). The values of the caudate nucleus, anterior putamen, and anterior putamen/posterior putamen were significantly lower in PD patients with than without severe WMH (P < 0.05), and the damage to the striatal DAT in MSA patients with severe WMH was similar to the non-severe patients (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Patients with PD and a high WMH score had lower DAT availability. WMH affected the availability of DAT in patients with early to mid-stage PD compared to MSA.
Insights
White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is linked to reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in Parkinson's disease (PD) but not multiple system atrophy (MSA). This suggests WMH impacts DAT levels differently in these neurodegenerative conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Dopamine transporter imaging
Background:
- White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a common finding in neuroimaging, often associated with aging and cerebrovascular disease.
- Dopamine transporter (DAT) availability is a key biomarker in Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).
- Understanding the relationship between WMH and DAT availability is crucial for differentiating PD from MSA and assessing disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden and dopamine transporter (DAT) availability.
- To compare these associations in patients with early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical and imaging data from 55 patients (38 PD, 17 MSA).
- Comparison of DAT specific binding ratio (SBR) between severe and non-severe WMH groups, and between PD and MSA groups.
- Correlation and regression analyses to assess relationships between WMH, DAT availability, and clinical characteristics.
Main Results:
- Age was the only significant clinical variable correlated with WMH in PD patients.
- Patients with severe WMH showed significantly lower DAT SBR in the caudate nucleus and anterior putamen compared to those with non-severe WMH.
- This reduction in DAT availability associated with severe WMH was significant in PD patients but not in MSA patients.
Conclusions:
- Higher white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden is associated with reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease (PD).
- WMH appears to affect DAT availability differently in PD compared to multiple system atrophy (MSA).
- These findings highlight the potential role of WMH as a confounding factor or contributing pathology in DAT imaging for neurodegenerative parkinsonism.
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