Clinical Applications
The diagnosis of PD remains difficult especially early in the course of the disease. This is so, in spite that clinical accuracy can be improved to approximately 90% with the application of strict diagnostic criteria and long term follow-up (1). Among other conditions, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, essential tremor, vascular parkinsonism, have to be included in the differential diagnosis (2). This is important as therapy strategies become available for PD. In vivo imaging of the dopaminergic system has the potential to improve the diagnosis of PD in its early stages.
- Parkinsonism
References:
1 Chou K.L., Hurtig, HI., Stern, M.B., Colcher, A., Ravina,B., Newberg A., Mozley P.D., Siderowf, A.. Diagnostic accuracy of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging in early Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 10 (2004) 375–379.
2 Geng Yu et al. Investigating the role of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. J Zhejiang Univ SCI 2005 6B(1):22-27.