Nigrostriatal upregulation of 5‐HT2A receptors correlates with motor dysfunction in progressive supranuclear palsy |
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| Authors: | Maria Stamelou MD Andreas Matusch MD David Elmenhorst MD René Hurlemann MD PhD Karla M Eggert MD Karl Zilles MD Wolfgang H Oertel MD Günter U Höglinger MD Andreas Bauer MD |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics–Medicine (INB‐3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany;2. Department of Neurology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany;3. The first two authors contributed equally to this study, and the last two author's contributed equally to this study.;4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany;5. C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany;6. Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany |
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| Abstract: | A dysfunction of multiple neurotransmitter systems is assumed as a neurochemical basis of the akinetic‐rigid syndrome of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). In vitro studies have produced conflicting results on the serotoninergic system in PSP. We, therefore, studied the binding potential of the serotonin 2A (5‐HT2A) receptor ligand 18 F]altanserin in 8 patients with clinically probable PSP and 13 healthy controls using positron emission tomography. We found an up‐regulation of 5‐HT2A receptors in the substantia nigra and, to a lower degree, in the striatum, while neocortical 5‐ HT2A receptor densities showed no changes upon partial‐volume correction. Nigral and striatal receptor changes were significantly correlated with patients' scores of motor dysfunction (UPDRS III, PSP‐rating scale) pointing to a functional relevance of the described findings. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society |
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| Keywords: | PSP Steele‐Richardson‐Olszewski syndrome serotonin 5‐HT 5‐HT2A receptor PET |
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