Dual-isotope SPECT imaging of striatal dopamine: a comparative study between never-treated and haloperidol-treated first-episode schizophrenic patients

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2012 Apr;262(3):183-91. doi: 10.1007/s00406-011-0269-4. Epub 2011 Nov 13.

Abstract

The aim of this dual-isotope SPECT imaging study was to evaluate striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) and D2 receptor availability in first-episode never-treated and haloperidol-treated schizophrenic patients and whether the availability is associated with psychopathology. Twenty-four inpatients with a first acute schizophrenic episode were enrolled in the study; 12 of these patients were treated with haloperidol for 2 weeks before dual-isotope SPECT was performed, whereas the other 12 patients underwent the SPECT evaluation directly after enrollment. Twelve healthy control persons were also recruited and evaluated with the dual-isotope SPECT protocol. Psychopathology was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and other scales. D2-radioligand binding did not differ between drug-naïve patients and the control group but was significantly lower in the haloperidol-treated group. DAT availability was also significantly lower in the haloperidol patients than in the other two groups and differed significantly between drug-naïve, positive-syndrome-type patients and healthy controls. The data obtained with the new dual-isotope SPECT technique reveal a direct effect of haloperidol at the D2 and DAT receptor level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Benzamides / pharmacokinetics
  • Corpus Striatum / diagnostic imaging*
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects
  • Dopamine Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Dopamine Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Haloperidol / pharmacology
  • Haloperidol / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Organotechnetium Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Pyrrolidines / pharmacokinetics
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
  • Schizophrenia / diagnostic imaging
  • Schizophrenia / drug therapy
  • Schizophrenia / pathology*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
  • Tropanes / pharmacokinetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Benzamides
  • Dopamine Antagonists
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tropanes
  • technetium Tc 99m TRODAT-1
  • 3-iodo-2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-N-((1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)benzamide
  • Haloperidol