Parkinson Disease
Conditions
Keywords
Parasympathetic
Brief summary
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often display symptoms, such as constipation, due to denervation of the cholinergic nerves in the gut. It has been hypothesized that PD initiates in the gut years prior to diagnosis. To gain a detailed understanding of the early stages of PD, techniques for quantification of cholinergic nerves are needed. The PET tracer 18F-FEOBV binds specifically to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter, situated in presynaptic cholinergic nerve terminals. The investigators will investigate 18F-FEOBV uptake in the brain and internal organs of 15 patients with moderate-stage PD and compare to 15 healthy controls. Furthermore, findings are correlated to validated clinical tests of the autonomic nervous system. The aim is to validate 18F-FEOBV PET/CT as a clinical imaging modality to diagnose parasympathetic denervation in PD.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Aarhus University Hospital
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Parkinsons disease, disease duration \> 4 years, Hoehn & Yahr stage 2-3
Exclusion criteria
* Significant neurological diseases (e.g. stroke, tumor) * Significant psychiatric disease * Previous major surgery on thoracic and/or abdominal organs * Significant medical disease (e.g. heart- or liver failure) * Inflammatory bowel disease * Gluten intolerance * Diabetes * Magnetic Resonance (MR) contraindications (metal in body, claustrophobia) * Allergy to CT-contrast fluid * Pacemaker * Any current or previous cancer involving internal organs * Peripheral neuropathy (except Parkinsons disease related)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter | Day 1 | Average density will be determined in each group for intestine, pancreas, suprarenal gland, heart and relevant areas of the brain. Group differences will be calculated |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Correlation to measurements of gastrointestinal denervation | Day 1 | Density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter will be correlated to symptoms of gastrointestinal autonomic denervation (constipation, gastroparesis). |
| Correlation to measurements of dysautonomia | Day 1 | Density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter will be correlated to measurements of dysautonomia (orthostatic hypotension, colon transit time) |
| Correlation to measurements of neuropsychological tests | Day 1 | Cerebral density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter is correlated with neuropsychological test scores. |
Countries
Denmark
Outcome results
None listed