Brain T1 intensity changes after levodopa administration in healthy subjects: a voxel‐based morphometry study

• Published in: British journal of clinical pharmacology Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 546 - 551
• Main Authors: Salgado‐Pineda, Pilar, Delaveau, Pauline, Falcon, Carles, Blin, Olivier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2006; Blackwell Science; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain Mapping - methods; Cross-Over Studies; Dopamine Agents - pharmacology; Double-Blind Method; Female; healthy subjects; Humans; levodopa; Levodopa - pharmacology; magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; voxel‐based morphometry; Human; Agonist; magnetic resonance imaging; Healthy subject; healthy subjects; Intensity; Central nervous system; voxel-based morphometry; Antiparkinson agent; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon; D2 Dopamine receptor; Medical imagery; Levodopa; Morphometry
• ISSN: 0306-5251; 1365-2125
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2006.02695.x

Aim To test T1 intensity variations induced by levodopa administration in the regional fixation area in the human brain. Method Using non‐invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique [T1‐weighted sequence MPRAGE; TE/TR/TI = 5/25/800 ms; impulsion angle = 15°; field of view = 256 × 230 × 180 mm3; acquisition matrix = 256 × 192 × 104; reconstruction matrix = 256 × 256 × 128), we tested changes in the T1 MRI signal intensity resulting in changes in the grey matter automatic classification after administration of a single dose of 100 mg of levodopa by a voxel‐based morphometry method (VBM) in 12 healthy subjects. Results The VBM analysis demonstrated an increased number of voxels attributed to grey matter after levodopa administration in an anatomical cluster which included substantia nigra, tegmental ventral area and subthalamic nucleus bilaterally, the principal origin and first relay nuclei of projections in brain dopaminergic systems (t = 8.61; corrected for all grey matter volume P < 0.001). Conclusion Our results suggest that levodopa administration could induce an MRI T1 signal intensity variation that is not evident to the naked eye, but is detectable by measuring local signal intensities. Possible clinical applications are discussed.