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Canna~Fangled Abstracts

Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 in Parkinson’s Disease: A Positron Emission Tomography Study with [ 18 F]FMPEP-d 2

By June 8, 2022June 9th, 2022No Comments

. 2022 Jun 8.

doi: 10.1002/mds.29117.

Online ahead of print.
Riikka M Ajalin 1 2, Haidar Al-Abdulrasul 1 3, Jouni M Tuisku 1, Jussi E S Hirvonen 1 4, Tero Vahlberg 5, Salla Lahdenpohja 1, Juha O Rinne 1 2, Anna E Brück 1 2
Affiliations 

Abstract

Background: The endocannabinoid system is a widespread neuromodulatory system affecting several biological functions and processes. High densities of type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors and endocannabinoids are found in basal ganglia, which makes them an interesting target group for drug development in basal ganglia disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate CB1 receptors in PD with [18 F]FMPEP-d2 positron emission tomography (PET) and the effect of dopaminergic medication on the [18 F]FMPEP-d2 binding.

Methods: The data consisted of 16 subjects with PD and 10 healthy control subjects (HCs). All participants underwent a [18 F]FMPEP-d2 high-resolution research tomograph PET examination for the quantitative assessment of cerebral binding to CB1 receptors. To investigate the effect of dopaminergic medication on the [18 F]FMPEP-d2 binding, 15 subjects with PD underwent [18 F]FMPEP-d2 PET twice, both on and off antiparkinsonian medication.

Results: [18 F]FMPEP-d2 distribution volume was significantly lower in the off scan compared with the on scan in basal ganglia, thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala (P < 0.05). Distribution volume was lower in subjects with PD off than in HCs globally (P < 0.05), but not higher than in HCs in any brain region.

Conclusions: Subjects with PD have lower CB1 receptor availability compared with HCs. PD medication increases CB1 receptor toward normal levels. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: CB1 receptor, PET, Parkinson’s disease, dopaminergic medication, endocannabinoid system

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