Dopaminergic degeneration and perfusional impairment in Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease

The clinical differentiation of Lewy body dementia (LBD) from Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be difficult. The aim of the present study was to assess the dopamine transporter function and the perfusional pattern in LBD and AD in vivo. Twenty patients with probable LBD and 24 with probable AD underwent on 2 separate days a brain perfusional SPECT with 99mTc-ECD and a SPECT with I-123-FP-CIT, a ligand of dopamine transporter. In LBD a significantly (p < 0.0005) lower ratio of specific (bilateral caudate nucleus, putamen) to non-specific (occipital cortex) I-123-FP-CIT binding than in AD was reported. Perfusional data (SPM analysis) showed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease of temporo-parietal blood flow in AD versus LBD, whereas in LBD a significant (p < 0.001) occipital hypoperfusion with respect to AD was reported. Our findings confirm that dopaminergic nigrostriatal function is impaired in LBD. The selective occipital hypoperfusion in LBD needs to be further investigated.