Comparison of [F]-FDOPA PET and [I]-FP-CIT SPECT acquired in clinical practice for assessing nigrostriatal degeneration in patients with a clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome.

Purpose: Two commonly used imaging techniques to aid in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes are dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with [I]-FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT-SPECT) and positron emission tomography with [F]-FDOPA (FDOPA-PET). This paper provides a unique series of parkinsonian patients who received both FDOPA-PET and DAT-SPECT in routine clinical practice and compares the reported results to assess potential differences between these two imaging techniques.

Methods: We present 11 patients with a clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome (CUPS), who received both FDOPA-PET and DAT-SPECT.

Late relapse myoclonus in a case of Lance-Adams syndrome.

A 66-year-old man had a history of an anterior myocardial infarction followed by a successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a posthypoxic myoclonus, also known as Lance-Adams syndrome (LAS). Eight years ago, he was admitted to the emergency department with the same myoclonic jerks during an intercurrent respiratory infection. After treatment with clonazepam and resolution of the infection, the myoclonus promptly disappeared.

SERT-to-DAT ratios in early Parkinson's disease do not correlate with the development of dyskinesias.

Background: Although the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) is very effective, in the course of the disease, 40% to 60% of patients develop dyskinesias. The pathophysiology of dyskinesias is still unclear. Results of preclinical research suggest that uptake and uncontrolled release of dopamine by serotonergic neurons is an important factor.

Executive control in Parkinson's disease: effects of dopaminergic medication and deep brain stimulation on anti-cue keypress performance.

Using an anti-cue keypress task, we examined executive control in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and dopaminergic medication. Across sessions, we varied stimulation (on, off) and dopaminergic medication (on, off). Reaction time (RT) results of the PD patients and their age-matched controls showed a consistent pattern of RT costs and benefits generated by anti-cues with short and long preparation intervals, respectively.

Impulse control and related disorders in Parkinson's disease patients treated with bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation: a review.

Recently, impulse control and related disorders including punding and the dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) have been increasingly recognized in treated patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Especially the impulse control disorders (ICD) such as pathological gambling, hypersexuality, compulsive eating and buying may have dramatic repercussions on family, personal and professional life. Drug replacement therapy (DRT) is believed to play an important role in the onset of these behavioral disturbances.

Clinical problems in the hospitalized Parkinson's disease patient: systematic review.

The problems Parkinson's disease (PD) patients encounter when admitted to a hospital, are known to be numerous and serious. These problems have been inventoried through a systematic review of literature on reasons for emergency and hospital admissions in PD patients, problems encountered during hospitalization, and possible solutions for the encountered problems using the Pubmed database. PD patients are hospitalized in frequencies ranging from 7 to 28% per year.

Long-term outcome of thalamic deep brain stimulation in two patients with Tourette syndrome.

Objective: Thalamic deep brain stimulation for intractable Tourette Syndrome was introduced in 1999 by Vandewalle et al. In this follow-up study, the authors report on the long-term (6 and 10 years) outcome in terms of tic reduction, cognition, mood and side effects of medial thalamic deep brain stimulation in two previously described Tourette patients.

Methods: The authors compared the outcome of two patients at 6 and 10 years after surgery with their preoperative status and after 8 months and 5 years of treatment, respectively.

Pharmacological treatment of apathy in neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatment of apathy in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: Systematic review of studies assessing the effects of pharmacological treatment on apathy in neurodegenerative diseases.

Results: Thirty-five studies were included: 2 meta-analyses, 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 14 open-label studies, 5 case series, and 1 single case study.

The predictive value of transcranial duplex sonography for the clinical diagnosis in undiagnosed parkinsonian syndromes: comparison with SPECT scans.

Background: Transcranial duplex sonography (TCD) of the substantia nigra has emerged as a promising, non-invasive tool to diagnose idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). However, its diagnostic accuracy in patients with undefined parkinsonism remains to be determined. In this study we determined the predictive value of TCD for the clinical diagnosis in undiagnosed parkinsonian syndromes.

Diagnostic value of 123I-ioflupane and 123I-iodobenzamide SPECT scans in 248 patients with parkinsonian syndromes.

Background: SPECT is one of the most employed techniques in the diagnostic workup of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Despite its widespread use, the exact diagnostic accuracy of this technique in parkinsonian syndromes remains controversial.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of an initial (123)I-ioflupane (FP-CIT) and/or (123)I-iodobenzamide (IBZM) SPECT to differentiate between IPD and other parkinsonian disorders.

Protocol of a prospective study on the diagnostic value of transcranial duplex scanning of the substantia nigra in patients with parkinsonian symptoms.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. As there is no definitive diagnostic test, its diagnosis is based on clinical criteria. Recently transcranial duplex scanning (TCD) of the substantia nigra in the brainstem has been proposed as an instrument to diagnose PD.

Rigidity and bradykinesia reduce interlimb coordination in Parkinsonian gait.

Objective: To assess the influence of rigidity and bradykinesia and the extent of dopaminergic degeneration on interlimb coordination during walking in early, drug-naive patients with Parkinsons disease (PD).

Design: The interlimb coordination was examined during a systematic manipulation of walking speed on a treadmill. The phase relations between arm and leg movements were related to the clinical measures of rigidity and bradykinesia as well as to the extent of dopaminergic degeneration.

Early-stage [123I]beta-CIT SPECT and long-term clinical follow-up in patients with an initial diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: Previous studies using dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to try and distinguish between patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and patients with atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) have mainly focussed on patients with an already established clinical diagnosis of several years' duration. Differences in the pattern of striatal involvement between IPD and APS have been found in only few studies. We hypothesized that distinguishing SPECT features might be most pronounced at an early disease stage, and the purpose of the present study was to investigate this hypothesis.