Racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases exist. This study examined the agreement between gold standard diagnosis and visual assessment of dopamine transporter (DaT) imaging in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients being evaluated for Parkinsonian syndromes (PS). Methods: A retrospective review of DaT imaging and demographic data was performed with institutional review board approval. Documented interpretation by visual assessment was used to classify scans as normal or abnormal. The gold standard for the final diagnosis of PS was determined by a neurologist after 2 or more years of clinical follow-up. Data were analyzed with a z-test for uncorrelated samples. Results: In 30 Hispanic patients, DaT imaging was abnormal in 17, normal in 12, and nondiagnostic in 1. Of those with abnormal imaging, PS was confirmed in 16 of 17. Of those with normal imaging, no PS was confirmed in any patient. Sensitivity was 100%, and specificity was 92%. The single patient with nondiagnostic imaging was excluded. Of 77 non-Hispanic patients, visual assessment of DaT imaging was abnormal in 51. Of those with abnormal imaging, PS was confirmed in 48 of 51. Of those with normal imaging, no PS was confirmed in 22 of 26. Sensitivity was 92%, and specificity was 88%. There was no statistically significant difference (z = 0.34) in the rates of agreement between the gold standard and DaT imaging in Hispanic versus non-Hispanic patients. The study sample size afforded a power of 0.60. Conclusion: No significant difference was found in the accuracy of DaT imaging between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients. Accuracy was high for both groups.
Keywords: 123I-ioflupane; Hispanic; Parkinsonian syndrome; dopamine transporter imaging; ethnic disparity.
© 2020 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.