Assessment of dopaminergic pathways in Huntington’s Disease: when, how, why? A (clinician-friendly) systematic review of the literature on PET and SPECT applications
Elizabeth Katherine Anna Triumbari, Daniele Antonio Pizzuto, Anna Rita Bentivoglio, Carla Piano, Salvatore Annunziata, Guido Maria Meduri, Daniela Di Giuda
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) allow the in-vivo evaluation of brain dopaminergic pathways’ integrity and functionality. A systematic review of published literature was performed to determine the usefulness of PET and SPECT for the assessment of dopaminergic pathways in patients with Huntington’s Disease (HD).
Methods
PubMed/Medline databases were searched to identify studies responding to our aim. Included articles were appraised using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies criteria. Evaluation and discussion of data was then designed to assist clinicians identifying when (during patients’ course of the disease), how (through PET or SPECT) and why (depending on the findings) it would be useful to perform a functional assessment of dopaminergic pathways in patients with manifest and pre-manifest HD.
Results
Of 572 articles found, 33 were included in this systematic review, 6 among which evaluated the application of SPECT, and 27 the application of PET. Overall, there was an agreement in reporting dopaminergic system degeneration at both striatal and extra-striatal levels, often correlated with clinical and neuropsychological parameters. The non-linear progressive reduction of presynaptic dopamine transporter, vesicular monoamine transporter-2, or of post-synaptic dopamine receptors D1 and D2 was constantly described having a high potential of offering sensitive biomarkers of disease progression and response to disease-modifying interventions.
Conclusions
Despite limited literature data, this systematic review revealed that SPECT and PET are useful to monitor different aspects of striatal and extra-striatal dopaminergic pathways degeneration during all stages of HD and may serve for response to disease-modifying interventions assessment.
期刊介绍:
Clinical and Translational Imaging is an international journal that publishes timely, up-to-date summaries on clinical practice and translational research and clinical applications of approved and experimental radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Coverage includes such topics as advanced preclinical evidence in the fields of physics, dosimetry, radiation biology and radiopharmacy with relevance to applications in human subjects. The journal benefits a readership of nuclear medicine practitioners and allied professionals involved in molecular imaging and therapy.