Does the exam with Datscan help to understand if you suffer from Parkinson’s or parkinsonism? – time.news

2023-06-11 07:54:47

Of Daniela Calandrella

It allows to measure the loss of dopaminergic innervation and should be offered to patients in whom the diagnosis of the disease is doubtful

Is the Datscan (brain scintigraphy with Datscan) a useful test to understand if you suffer from Parkinson’s or parkinsonism (syndrome characterized by symptoms common to Parkinson’s disease)?

He answers Daniela Calandrellaneurologist, Grisons Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease (VAI AL FORUM)

We know the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease a predominantly clinical diagnosis, i.e. based on the presence of specific motor symptoms (motor slowdown, stiffness and tremor at rest), on the patient’s medical and family history. Instrumental examinations, such as magnetic resonance imaging and brain scintigraphy, are an important support to the clinical diagnosis. Cerebral scintigraphy is an exam that provides injection of a weakly radioactive substance, called a tracer. This tracer binds to various receptors or transporters in the brain and emits radiation which is recorded by a gamma camera and visualized with special diagnostic techniques such as Spect (single photon emission computed tomography) or Pet (positron emission tomography). In Parkinson’s disease the most used tracer is called Ioflupanelabeled (made radioactive) with a molecule of iodine (123I).

This tracer binds transporters for dopamine recovery (dopamine reuptake transporterdat), which are placed on the surface of the nerve endings that from black substance arrive at the striatum carrying dopamine. In case of damage to the black substanceas in Parkinson’s, fewer neurons reach the striatumthe Dat are therefore reduced in number, the tracer Ioflupane has fewer binding sites and emits less radioactivity. This test therefore makes it possible to measure the loss of dopaminergic innervation and should be offered to patients in whom the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is in doubt. A pathological Datscan exam allows you to confirm the clinical suspicion of Parkinson’s diseaseespecially compared to other neurological pathologies characterized mainly by tremor, for example essential tremor.

June 11, 2023 (change June 11, 2023 | 07:54)

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