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The diagnostic value of dopamine transporter imaging and olfactory testing in patients with parkinsonian syndromes

Georgiopoulos, Charalampos LU ; Davidsson, Anette ; Engström, Maria ; Larsson, Elna-Marie LU ; Zachrisson, Helene and Dizdar, Nil (2015) In Journal of Neurology 262(9). p.63-2154
Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of olfactory testing and presynaptic dopamine imaging in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS); to evaluate if the combination of these two diagnostic tools can improve their diagnostic value. A prospective investigation of 24 PD patients, 16 APS patients and 15 patients with non-parkinsonian syndromes was performed during an 18-month period. Single photon emission computed tomography with the presynaptic radioligand (123)I-FP-CIT (DaTSCAN(®)) and olfactory testing with the Brief 12-item Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) were performed in all patients. DaTSCAN was analysed semi-quantitatively, by calculating two different striatal uptake ratios, and... (More)

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of olfactory testing and presynaptic dopamine imaging in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS); to evaluate if the combination of these two diagnostic tools can improve their diagnostic value. A prospective investigation of 24 PD patients, 16 APS patients and 15 patients with non-parkinsonian syndromes was performed during an 18-month period. Single photon emission computed tomography with the presynaptic radioligand (123)I-FP-CIT (DaTSCAN(®)) and olfactory testing with the Brief 12-item Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) were performed in all patients. DaTSCAN was analysed semi-quantitatively, by calculating two different striatal uptake ratios, and visually according to a predefined ranking scale. B-SIT score was significantly lower for PD patients, but not significantly different between APS and non-parkinsonism. The visual assessment of DaTSCAN had higher sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy compared to olfactory testing. Most PD patients (75%) had visually predominant dopamine depletion in putamen, while most APS patients (56%) had visually severe dopamine depletion both in putamen and in caudate nucleus. The combination of DaTSCAN and B-SIT led to a higher rate of correctly classified patients. Olfactory testing can distinguish PD from non-parkinsonism, but not PD from APS or APS from non-parkinsonism. DaTSCAN is more efficient than olfactory testing and can be valuable in differentiating PD from APS. However, combining olfactory testing and DaTSCAN imaging has a higher predictive value than these two methods separately.

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author
; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Brain/diagnostic imaging, Diagnosis, Differential, Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Olfactory Pathways/diagnostic imaging, Parkinson Disease/diagnosis, Parkinsonian Disorders/diagnosis, Radionuclide Imaging, Smell/physiology
in
Journal of Neurology
volume
262
issue
9
pages
63 - 2154
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:84941993983
  • pmid:26122543
ISSN
1432-1459
DOI
10.1007/s00415-015-7830-4
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
44536fdc-d5e4-4e9e-b0b1-9006a7abdecb
date added to LUP
2023-02-09 11:22:16
date last changed
2024-02-01 00:20:35
@article{44536fdc-d5e4-4e9e-b0b1-9006a7abdecb,
  abstract     = {{<p>The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of olfactory testing and presynaptic dopamine imaging in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS); to evaluate if the combination of these two diagnostic tools can improve their diagnostic value. A prospective investigation of 24 PD patients, 16 APS patients and 15 patients with non-parkinsonian syndromes was performed during an 18-month period. Single photon emission computed tomography with the presynaptic radioligand (123)I-FP-CIT (DaTSCAN(®)) and olfactory testing with the Brief 12-item Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) were performed in all patients. DaTSCAN was analysed semi-quantitatively, by calculating two different striatal uptake ratios, and visually according to a predefined ranking scale. B-SIT score was significantly lower for PD patients, but not significantly different between APS and non-parkinsonism. The visual assessment of DaTSCAN had higher sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy compared to olfactory testing. Most PD patients (75%) had visually predominant dopamine depletion in putamen, while most APS patients (56%) had visually severe dopamine depletion both in putamen and in caudate nucleus. The combination of DaTSCAN and B-SIT led to a higher rate of correctly classified patients. Olfactory testing can distinguish PD from non-parkinsonism, but not PD from APS or APS from non-parkinsonism. DaTSCAN is more efficient than olfactory testing and can be valuable in differentiating PD from APS. However, combining olfactory testing and DaTSCAN imaging has a higher predictive value than these two methods separately.</p>}},
  author       = {{Georgiopoulos, Charalampos and Davidsson, Anette and Engström, Maria and Larsson, Elna-Marie and Zachrisson, Helene and Dizdar, Nil}},
  issn         = {{1432-1459}},
  keywords     = {{Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain/diagnostic imaging; Diagnosis, Differential; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Olfactory Pathways/diagnostic imaging; Parkinson Disease/diagnosis; Parkinsonian Disorders/diagnosis; Radionuclide Imaging; Smell/physiology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{63--2154}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Neurology}},
  title        = {{The diagnostic value of dopamine transporter imaging and olfactory testing in patients with parkinsonian syndromes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-015-7830-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00415-015-7830-4}},
  volume       = {{262}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}