Long-term treatment response and fluorodopa positron emission tomographic scanning of parkinsonism in a family with dopa-responsive dystonia

Ann Neurol. 1992 Nov;32(5):603-8. doi: 10.1002/ana.410320502.

Abstract

Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) is one form of childhood-onset idiopathic torsion dystonia. Adult-onset parkinsonism has appeared in several previously unaffected members in families with DRD suggesting that this may be an additional phenotypical expression of the disease. We report a family with DRD in which 2 women and 1 man, unaffected by dystonia, developed tremor-onset parkinsonism after age 50 years. The women continue on a low dosage of levodopa after 9 and 13 years of treatment, with a stable, nearly complete, symptomatic response. This contrasts to the typical long-term treatment complications observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. We assessed nigrostriatal dopaminergic function in the proband, with typical DRD, and the 2 women with parkinsonism using 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa positron emission tomography. All 3 had normal striatal 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa uptake. These observations provide compelling evidence that "benign" adult-onset parkinsonism may be an expression of the disease in some members of families with DRD and does not support consideration of the DRD gene as a risk factor for development of Parkinson's disease. There may be considerable clinical heterogeneity in DRD depending on the age at onset.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / analogs & derivatives
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / pharmacokinetics
  • Dystonia / complications
  • Dystonia / diagnostic imaging*
  • Dystonia / drug therapy*
  • Dystonia / metabolism
  • Family
  • Female
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Parkinson Disease / etiology
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism
  • Pedigree
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed*

Substances

  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • fluorodopa F 18
  • Levodopa
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine