Statistical Parametric Mapping with [F]FDOPA PET Demonstrating Difference in Dopaminergic Neuronal Function between Parkinson’s Disease and Olivopontine Cerebellar Atrophy

Received 8/31/2001; revised 10/20/2001; accepted 11/27/2001. For correspondence or reprints contact: Ren-Shyan Liu, M.D., Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201 Section 2, Shi-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: (886)2-28715849, Fax: (886)2-28749431, E-mail: [email protected] Objective: Using statistical parametric mapping on [F]FDOPA PET image analysis to examine the difference of dopaminergic metabolism between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and olivopontine cerebellar atrophy (OPCA). Methods: Nine PD patients (age: mean ± SD, 61.2 ± 10.9 years; 6 males, 3 females) and 6 OPCA patients (age: mean ± SD, 45.8 ± 10.1 years; 4 males; 2 females) were studied. Images from each [F]FDOPA scan were under statistical comparison on a voxel by voxel basis between two groups using statistical parametric mapping (SPM99). Results: Significantly decreased [F]FDOPA uptake of PD patients in comparison with OPCA patients were found in the bilateral putamen and bilateral anterior cingulate gyri (uncorrected P<0.001; PET/SPECT mode: two-sample t-test; contrast: OPCA as 1 and PD as -1) Conclusion: We demonstrated the differences of [F]FDOPA striatal uptake between the OPCA and PD groups using SPM in voxel level analysis. In this study we showed significant difference of dopaminergic function in the bilateral putamen and bilateral anterior cingulate gyri between the two groups. Direct measurement of dopaminergic neuronal function using [F]FDOPA is of value in differential diagnosis between PD and OPCA.