PET study of brain acetylcholinesterase in cerebellar degenerative disorders

• Published in: Movement disorders Vol. 23; no. 8; pp. 1154 - 1160
• Main Authors: Hirano, Shigeki, Shinotoh, Hitoshi, Arai, Kimihito, Aotsuka, Akiyo, Yasuno, Fumihiko, Tanaka, Noriko, Ota, Tsuneyoshi, Sato, Koichi, Fukushi, Kiyoshi, Tanada, Shuji, Hattori, Takamichi, Irie, Toshiaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.06.2008; Wiley
• Subjects: acetylcholine; Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Carbon Radioisotopes; Cerebellar Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Machado-Joseph Disease - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; multiple system atrophy; Multiple System Atrophy - diagnostic imaging; Nervous system; Neurologic Examination; Neurology; Piperidines; Positron-Emission Tomography; Propionates; Radionuclide investigations; spinocerebellar ataxia; Spinocerebellar Ataxias - diagnostic imaging; Spinocerebellar Degenerations - diagnostic imaging; thalamus; Thalamus - diagnostic imaging; Cerebellum; Nervous system diseases; Enzyme; Central nervous system; Esterases; Acetylcholinesterase; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Genetic disease; Encephalon; Spinocerebellar ataxia; Central nervous system disease; Neurotransmitter; Multiple system atrophy; Hydrolases; Thalamus; Degenerative disease; Acetylcholine; Positron emission tomography; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 0885-3185; 1531-8257
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.22056

To elucidate characteristic changes of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in cerebellar degenerative disorders. Eight patients with the cerebellar variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA‐C), 7 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type‐3 (SCA‐3), 3 patients with SCA‐6, and 13 healthy age‐matched volunteers participated in this study. Brain AChE activity was measured by [11C] N‐methylpiperidin‐4‐yl propionate PET in all subjects. Brain AChE activities were significantly decreased in the thalamus (−27%) and the posterior lobe of cerebellar cortex (−36%) in patients with MSA‐C and in the thalamus (−23%) in patients with SCA‐3 compared with healthy controls (P < 0.01). Thalamic AChE activities of SCA‐3 patients were negatively correlated with the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale motor subscore (P < 0.001). AChE activities were not significantly altered in the cerebral cortex in any disease group. Reduction of AChE activities in the thalamus and cerebellum in MSA and in the thalamus in SCA‐3 suggest that cholinergic modulating drugs may have a role in the treatment of ataxia and other symptoms in these disorders. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society