Dopamine transporter and D2-receptor density in late-onset alcoholism

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia Vol. 147; no. 3; pp. 314 - 318
• Main Authors: REPO, Eila, KUIKKA, Jyrki T, BERGSTROM, Kim A, KARHU, Jari, HILTUNEN, Jukka, TIIHONEN, Jari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.12.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Age of Onset; Alcoholics; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - diagnostic imaging; Alcoholism - metabolism; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Benzamides; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cerebellum; Cerebellum - diagnostic imaging; Cerebellum - metabolism; Contrast Media; Dopamine D2 receptors; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Dopamine transporter; Drug abuse; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Iodine Radioisotopes; Ligands; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Transport Proteins; Middle Aged; Neostriatum; Neostriatum - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Nortropanes; Pyrrolidines; Receptor density; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - metabolism; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency; Single photon emission computed tomography; Social behavior; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Toxicology; Cerebellum; Human; Nervous system diseases; Late; Dopamine; Pathogenesis; Toxicity; Alcoholism; Central nervous system; Molecular interaction; Corpus striatum; Catecholamine; Conveyor; Cerebral disorder; Postsynaptic; D2 Dopamine receptor; Onset time; Central nervous system disease; Dopaminergic pathway; Brain (vertebrata); Presynaptic
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s002130051173

Late onset type 1 alcoholism has been suggested to be associated with an underlying dopaminergic defect. Therefore, it is relevant to study both postsynaptic D2-receptor and presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) densities among alcoholics. We investigated DAT densities, along with striatal and extrastriatal dopamine D2-receptor densities, in nine nonviolent late-onset male alcoholics, who had no major mental disorder nor antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and nine healthy controls. [123I]PE2I and [123I]epidepride were used in SPECT imaging. DAT occupancy ratios (striatum/cerebellum) were significantly lower among alcoholics than in controls. Extrastriatal D2-receptor occupancy ratios (temporal pole/cerebellum) were not significantly different between the groups. Striatal presynaptic DAT densities are decreased among type 1 alcoholics, and this finding is not associated with recent alcohol abuse.