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Neuroradiologic Evidence of Pre‐Synaptic and Post‐Synaptic Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Dysfunction in Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification: A Case Report
Author(s) -
Saito Takahiro,
Nakamura Mitsuru,
Shimizu Teruhiko,
Oda Keiichi,
Ishiwata Kiichi,
Ishii Kenji,
Isse Kunihiro
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2008.00314.x
Subject(s) - dopaminergic , basal ganglia , medicine , neuroscience , striatum , dopamine , psychology , central nervous system
Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a neuropathological condition known to manifest as motor disturbance, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric symptoms. The pathophysiology of the psychiatric symptoms of IBGC, however, remains controversial. A previous biochemical study suggested that dopaminergic impairment is involved in IBGC. We thus hypothesized that dopaminergic dysfunction might be related with the psychiatric manifestations of IBGC. We used positron emission tomography to measure glucose metabolism and dopaminergic function in the basal ganglia of an IBGC patient with psychiatric symptoms. The results showed that widespread hypometabolism was evident in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices while the decline in dopaminergic function was severe in the bilateral striatum. The functional decline of the dopamine system in the calcified area of the bilateral striatum and the disruption of cortico‐subcortical circuits may contribute to clinical manifestations of IBGC in our patient.