Abstract
Alterations of the brain dopamine system have been implicated in the neurological complications of chronic liver failure. The present study was aimed at the measurement of dopamine D2 binding sites in cirrhotic patients by positron emission tomography (PET) using 11C-N-methylspiperone as ligand. The regions of interest (ROI) were designated on a three-dimensional stereotaxic ROI template (3DSRT). The pixel values of twelve ROIs corrected by the pixel value of the cerebellum after 80 min static scanning were used to quantitate changes in binding. D2 binding sites were significantly decreased in the hippocampus and thalamus of cirrhotic patients and were positively correlated with serum bilirubin levels and Child–Pugh scores and were negatively correlated with prothrombin times (thalamus). Loss of D2 sites was greater in thalamus and hippocampus of alcoholic cirrhotics compared to non-alcoholics. Statistically significant correlations were also observed between D2 binding sites in hippocampus, thalamus and lenticular nuclei and history of overt encephalopathy. These findings suggest that D2 receptor binding in some regions of brain in cirrhotic patients is influenced by factors such as the severity of liver damage and history of alcohol dependency or overt encephalopathy. Alterations of D2 receptor sites indicative of dopaminergic synaptic dysfunction could play an important role in the pathogenesis of the cognitive and motor disturbances associated with chronic liver failure.
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Watanabe, Y., Kato, A., Sawara, K. et al. Selective alterations of brain dopamine D2 receptor binding in cirrhotic patients: results of a 11C-N-methylspiperone PET study. Metab Brain Dis 23, 265–274 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-008-9092-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-008-9092-7