Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
Volume 15, Issue 9 , Pages 640-643, 5 November 2009

Performance on an Alzheimer-selective odor identification test in patients with Parkinson's disease and its relationship with cerebral dopamine transporter activity

  • Kelvin L. Chou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    • Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. University of Michigan Medical School, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, SPC 5316, 1914 Taubman Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5316, USA. Tel.: +1 734 936 9045; fax: +1 734 936 8763.
    • ,
  • Nicolaas I. Bohnen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • Present address: Functional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility Laboratory, Departments of Radiology & Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Received 15 January 2009; received in revised form 16 February 2009; accepted 12 March 2009.

Abstract 

Background

Previous studies have shown selective deficits of odor identification in both Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Brief, selective AD smell screening tests have been developed to identify subjects at risk of AD. The disease specificity of such screening tests has not been formally evaluated.

Objective

To evaluate the performance of an Alzheimer-selective odor identification test in patients with PD and its relationship with cerebral dopamine transporter (DAT) activity.

Methods

PD patients (n=44; Hoehn and Yahr stages I–III; 13f/31m; mean age 59.3±10.1) and 44 controls matched for gender and age completed the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). All patients had PD duration>1 year and none had evidence of dementia. Using the UPSIT, we calculated performance on the 10 odors previously reported to be selective for AD risk (UPSIT-AD10). A subset of 29 PD patients also underwent brain DAT [11C]β-CFT (2-β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl) tropane) PET imaging. DAT binding was assessed in the hippocampus, amygdala, ventral and dorsal striatum.

Results

UPSIT-AD10 scores were significantly lower in the patient (5.8±2.1) compared to the control group (8.6±2.4) (t=5.8, P<0.0001). However, UPSIT-AD10 performance in the PD patients did not correlate with striatal or mesolimbic DAT activity.

Conclusions

Hyposmia in PD and AD overlap and supposed Alzheimer-selective smell screening tests may not be specific for AD. However, the supposed AD-selective hyposmia scores in PD did not correlate with cerebral DAT binding and may reflect a non-dopaminergic olfactory mechanism.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, PET, Olfaction, Dopamine transporter

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1353-8020(09)00066-2

doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2009.03.004

Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
Volume 15, Issue 9 , Pages 640-643, 5 November 2009

Article Tools