Striatal dopaminergic denervation in early and late onset Parkinson's disease assessed by PET and the tracer [11C]FECIT: preliminary findings in one patient with autosomal recessive parkinsonism (Park2).

Neuroimaging studies of striatal dopamine transporters (DAT) have shown that this measurement is a specific marker of dopaminergic degeneration in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, little data is available in subjects with early disease onset, particularly in those with autosomal recessive parkinsonism. We measured striatal DAT binding in 10 patients with early onset PD (onset <40 years) and in 10 with late onset PD (onset >50 years) using PET and the tracer [(11)C]FECIT. One early onset subject presented a mutation in the parkin gene consistent with autosomal recessive parkinsonism. Data were compared with those of 15 control subjects. We found a comparable decrement of striatal DAT binding in early and late onset PD. Loss was widespread and bilateral in the patient carrying the Park2 mutation, suggesting a different pattern of denervation in these individuals.