A 4-year dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging study in neuroleptic-naive first episode schizophrenia patients.

Abstract

Alterations in the dopaminergic system have long been implicated in schizophrenia. A key component in dopaminergic neurotransmission is the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT). To date, there have been no longitudinal studies evaluating the course of DAT in schizophrenia. A 4-year follow-up study was therefore conducted in which single photon emission computed tomography was used to measure DAT binding in 14 patients and 7 controls. We compared the difference over time in [(123)I] FP-CIT striatal/occipital uptake ratios (SOUR) between patients and controls and the relationship between this difference and both symptomatology and functional outcome at follow-up. We also calculated the relationship between baseline SOUR, symptoms and functional outcome at follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between patients' SOUR changes over time and those of controls. A significant negative correlation was observed between patients' SOUR changes over time and negative symptomatology at follow-up. A significant negative correlation was also found between baseline SOUR in patients and negative symptomatology, and there was a significant association between lower SOUR at baseline and poor outcome. Although the study found no overall differences in DAT binding during follow-up between schizophrenia patients and controls, it demonstrated that differences in DAT binding relate to patients' characteristics at follow-up.

• Authors: Anna Mané, Judith Gallego, Francisco Lomeña, Jose Javier Mateos, Emilio Fernandez-Egea, Guillermo Horga, Albert Cot, Javier Pavia, Miguel Bernardo, Eduard Parellada
• Journal: Psychiatry research (Psychiatry Res) Vol. 194 Issue 1 Pg. 79-84 (Oct 31 2011) ISSN: 0165-1781 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 21831607 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
• Tropanes
• 2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane

Topics

• Adult
• Corpus Striatum (diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins (metabolism)
• Female
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Male
• Occipital Lobe (diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Schizophrenia (diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon (methods)
• Tropanes (metabolism)
• Young Adult