Pre- and post-synaptic dopamine imaging and its relation with frontostriatal cognitive function in Parkinson disease: PET studies with [11C]NNC 112 and [18F]FDOPA

Abstract

Frontostriatal cognitive dysfunction is common in Parkinson disease (PD), but the explanation for its heterogeneous expressions remains unclear. This study examined the dopamine system within the frontostriatal circuitry with positron emission tomography (PET) to investigate pre- and post-synaptic dopamine function in relation to the executive processes in PD. Fifteen non-demented PD patients and 14 healthy controls underwent [18F]FDOPA (for dopamine synthesis) and [11C]NNC 112 (for D1 receptors) PET scans and cognitive testing. Parametric images of [18F]FDOPA uptake (Ki) and [11C]NNC 112 binding potential (BPND) were calculated using reference tissue models. Group differences in Ki and BPND..