PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - G D Borasio
AU  - R Linke
AU  - J Schwarz
AU  - V Schlamp
AU  - A Abel
AU  - P D Mozley
AU  - K Tatsch
TI  - Dopaminergic deficit in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis assessed with [I-123] IPT single photon emission computed tomography
AID  - 10.1136/jnnp.65.2.263
DP  - 1998 Aug 01
TA  - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
PG  - 263--265
VI  - 65
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/65/2/263.short
4100  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/65/2/263.full
SO  - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1998 Aug 01; 65
AB  - Dopamine transporter imaging was performed in 18 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 11 age matched controls with [I-123] IPT (N-(3-iodopropen-2-yl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane), a new cocaine analogue that selectively binds to the dopamine transporter located on dopaminergic nerve terminals. Image analysis showed that striatal IPT binding was moderately but significantly reduced in the ALS group compared with controls (p<0.01). The reduction of IPT binding was similar for patients with bulbar onset compared with those with limb onset. There was no correlation between values for uptake of striatal IPT and the age of the patients or the duration of the disease. These data indicate that nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons are subclinically affected in a subset of patients with sporadic ALS.