A new quantitative index in the diagnosis of Parkinson syndrome by dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography.

Objective: Dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT SPECT) has been widely used to diagnose Parkinson syndrome. Using the standardized uptake value (SUV) of DAT SPECT, we propose "functional dopamine transporter volume (f-DTV)" as a new quantitative index to evaluate the three-dimensional volume of functional dopamine transporters and assess its diagnostic ability in differentiating dopaminergic neurodegenerative diseases (dNDD) from non-dNDD.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients were enrolled (42 dNDD, 37 non-dNDD; 38 men; age 24-88 years).

Changes of tumor and normal structures of the neck during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer requires adaptive strategy.

The treatment period over which radiation therapy is administered extends over several weeks. Since tumor shrinkage in response to radiation therapy and weight loss due to radiation-induced mucositis may impact on the dose distribution in both target and organ at risk in patients with head and neck cancer, the anatomical changes of tumor and neck volumes during this period should be taken into consideration. We investigated the anatomical changes that occurred in the target and normal structure of the neck during radiation therapy for pharyngeal cancer, and evaluated the necessity of an adaptive strategy.