BACKGROUND: Overlapping clinical features of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) make it difficult to conduct an accurate differential diagnosis. We performed a quantitative F18- fluorodeoxyglucose PET (FDG PET) and measured the striatal and cerebellar glucose metabolism to evaluate the efficacy of a FDG PET study in the differential diagnosis between IPD and MSA. METHODS: This study included 19 patients with IPD, 28 patients with MSA (MSA-P : MSA-C = 19 : 9) and 12 age matched normal controls. A FDG PET study was performed in all subjects and the original PET image was corrected with the radioactivity curve obtained by repetitive sampling of the radial arterial blood. RESULTS: The measurements of striatal and cerebellar glucose metabolisms of the patients with MSA-P were significantly lower than those of the patients with IPD (P<0.001). However, the measurement of the caudate nucleus provided the most reliable clue for the differential diagnosis between IPD and MSA-P (sensitivity 94.7% and specificity 94.7%). In the patients with MSA-C, the glucose metabolism of the cerebellar vermis (P<0.001), cerebellar cortex (P<0.001) and putamen (P<0.05) was significantly lower than those of the patients with IPD. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative FDG PET is a useful and reliable method in making a differential diagnosis between IPD and MSA.
Caudate Nucleus ; Cerebellar Cortex ; Cerebellum ; Corpus Striatum ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Glucose ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Multiple System Atrophy* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Putamen ; Radioactivity ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Corpus striatum is subcortical nuclei composed of caudate nucleus and putamen. It has been considered to be associated with motor control and learning. Dysfunction of the striatum is related to Huntington's disease, Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Nevertheless, standard Korean striatum volume was not set yet. Here, we report the striatum volume in healthy Korean youths. The subjects were composed of 57 youths (male, 28; female, 29). The MRI study was undertaken after a brief history taking and neurological examination. The DICOM files were imported into V-Works program. Volume models of the intracranial cavity, whole brain, caudate nucleus, and putamen were made and their volumes were calculated by the program. The average caudate volume was 7.23±1.18 cm³ in male group and 6.23±0.96 cm³ in female group. The average volume of putamen was 7.19±1.25 cm³ in male group and 6.38±0.86 cm³ in female group. Interestingly the right caudate volume is significantly larger in both group, although there is no difference in putamen volume. This study reports Korean corpus striatum volume in healthy volunteers. These results would provide an important standard reference for further study.
Adolescent* ; Brain ; Caudate Nucleus* ; Corpus Striatum ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Huntington Disease ; Learning ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ; Putamen* ; Schizophrenia ; Tourette Syndrome

Hepatic encephalopathy is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome with protean clinical manifestations. Recently, we experienced a atypical case of hepatic encephalopathy who chiefly complained of extrapyramidal symptoms. A 41-year-old female had a 4-year history of liver cirrhosis that was caused by hepatitis B virus. Three days before admission, she began to feel resting hand tremor, facial diplegia, dysarthria, drooling and swallowing difficulty. On physical examination, cogwheel rigidity of upper extremities, stooping posture and loss of arm swing on walk were noted, but all sensory functions were intact. MRI showed abnormally increased signal on T1-weighted images in the corpus striatum, mainly in the putamen and globus pallidus, and the head of the caudate nucleus. Her neurological and radiological findings were consistent with manganese intoxication, but she had no history of manganese exposure. The extrapyramidal symptoms and signs were successfully controlled after the administration of anti-parkinsonian drugs, but it was uncertain whether this improvement was a result of drug therapy or not.
Adult ; Arm ; Caudate Nucleus ; Corpus Striatum ; Deglutition ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Dysarthria ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Hand ; Head ; Hepatic Encephalopathy* ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis Viruses ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Manganese ; Muscle Rigidity ; Physical Examination ; Posture ; Putamen ; Sensation ; Sialorrhea ; Tremor ; Upper Extremity

Autapses selectively form in specific cell types in many brain regions. Previous studies have also found putative autapses in principal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in the striatum. However, it remains unclear whether these neurons indeed form physiologically functional autapses. We applied whole-cell recording in striatal slices and identified autaptic cells by the occurrence of prolonged asynchronous release (AR) of neurotransmitters after bursts of high-frequency action potentials (APs). Surprisingly, we found no autaptic AR in SPNs, even in the presence of Sr²⁺. However, robust autaptic AR was recorded in parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons. The autaptic responses were mediated by GABA_A receptors and their strength was dependent on AP frequency and number. Further computer simulations suggest that autapses regulate spiking activity in PV cells by providing self-inhibition and thus shape network oscillations. Together, our results indicate that PV neurons, but not SPNs, form functional autapses, which may play important roles in striatal functions.
Parvalbumins/metabolism* ; Corpus Striatum/metabolism* ; Interneurons/physiology* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Neostriatum

We report a rare case of cavernous hemangioma (CH) which developed in adjacent location to a preexisting CH after gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS). A 36-year-old woman underwent GKRS for a CH in the left lentiform nucleus. Three-and-half years after radiosurgery, MRI revealed a new CH in the left caudate nucleus. Surgical excision of the new lesion was performed. The pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of CH. In radiosurgery for CH, it should be noted that a new CH may develop, which is likely to result from the interaction between radiation and predisposing factors of the patient.
Adult ; Caudate Nucleus ; Caves ; Corpus Striatum ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Radiosurgery

The frontal cortex of rat is innervated by dopaminergic pathway(mesocortical pathway) arising from ventral tegmental area. Several studies have suggested that mesocortical dopaminergic neurons may modulate the function of dopaminergic neurons at subcortical sites. The effect of lesions of the dopaminergic nerve terminals in the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat on dopamine D1 and D2 receptors within the striatum and olfactory tubercle has been investigated. Bilateral 6-hydroxy-dopamine lesions were stereotaxically placed in the medial prefrontal cortex. Animal were pretreated with desipramine to block the uptake of neurotoxin into noradrenergic terminals and to make it more selective for dopamine terminal. After 2weeks later, we examined the changes of D1 and D2 receptors in caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens by quantitative autoradiography using the specific D1 antagonist [3H]SCH23390 and D2 antagonist [3H]spiperone. The results shows that D1 receptor at striatum was up regulated 2weeks after destruction of dopamine terminals within medial prefrontal vortex of the rat. This findings suggest that frontal cortical dopamine system may regulate the dopamine system in corpus striatum.
Animals ; Autoradiography ; Corpus Striatum ; Desipramine ; Dopamine* ; Dopaminergic Neurons ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Olfactory Pathways ; Oxidopamine* ; Prefrontal Cortex* ; Rats* ; Receptors, Dopamine* ; Ventral Tegmental Area

PURPOSE: To determine whether 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is useful in differentiating idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), based on metabolite ratios. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a 1.5 T MR Unit, single voxel 1H MRS using STEAM with a TR of 2000ms and a TE of 135ms was performed in seven PD and eight PSP patients. Five age-matched volunteers(mean age, 63 years) andanother five younger healthy volunteers(mean age, 30 years) were studied as normal controls. The regions of interest were the putamen and pallidum, with a size of 2 X 2 X 2cm. After measuring the spectral intensities ofeach metabolite (N-acetylaspartate=NAA, choline=Cho, creatine=Cr and lactate), relative peak height ratios ofNAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and Naa/Cho, and lactate levels among four groups were compared. ESULTS: NAA/Cho and NAA/Crratios were statistically lower in the PSP group than the IPD group (1.21 +/-0.26 versus 1.45 +/-0.20, and 1.26 +/-.23 versus 1.38 +/-0.19, respectively : p<0.05). NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios were significantly lower inage-matched controls than in younger normal controls (1.39 +/-0.21 versus 1.76 +/-0.15, and 1.36 +/-0.13 versus1.79 +/-0.17, respectively : p<0.05). However, NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios between age-matched controls and IPD werenot significantly different (p>0.05). Cho/Cr ratios were not different among four groups. Lactate was not detectedin any patients. CONCLUSION: NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios in the corpus striatum were significantly lower in the PSP group than in the age-matched control and IPD groups. These results suggest that loss of neuron cells in thecorpus striatum is more prominent in PSP than in IPD, and that NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios may help in differential diagnosis of IPD and PSP.
Corpus Striatum ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease* ; Putamen ; Steam ; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive*

Decreased number of the Neuropeptide-Y[NPY] immunoreactive neurons in the corpus striatum and primary motor cortex of aged rat was detected by the immunohistochemical method. The animals were categorized into control and aged group and we used 10 Sprague-Dawley rat weighing 250-300gm for control group. 10 Sprague-Dawley rat weighing over 600gm for aged group. The number of NPY-immunoreactive neurons in corpus striatum and primary motor cortex were counted under the light microscope and the following results were obtained. 1. The NPY-immunoreactive neurons were evenly distributed in corpus striatum and in the primaty motor cortex, the NPY-immunoreactive neurons were concentrated within the layer II, III and layer V, VI. The typical NPY-immunoreactive perikarya was multipolar shape. 2. Decreased number of NPY-immunoreactive neurons were detected in some areas of corpus striatum and primary mortor cortex of the aged rat. 3. Decrease of NPY-immunoreactive neurons were most prominent in the caudate-putamen and there were moderate decrease of NPY-immunoreactive neurons in the primary motor cortex, mild decrease of NPY-immunoreactive neurons in the nucleus accumbens but the NPY-immunoreactive neurons were not observed in the globus pallidus in both control and aged rat. NPY is supposed to act as a neurotransmitter of local circuit neurons in the striatum and may exert its potent vasoconstrictor effects on cerebral vessels which influences on the microcirculation of cerebral cortex and striatum. So our results seems to provide an important data on change of the function in the striatum and primary motor cortex of aged rat brain.
Aging ; Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Corpus Striatum* ; Globus Pallidus ; Microcirculation ; Motor Cortex ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The secondary motor cortex (M2) encodes choice-related information and plays an important role in cue-guided actions. M2 neurons innervate the dorsal striatum (DS), which also contributes to decision-making behavior, yet how M2 modulates signals in the DS to influence perceptual decision-making is unclear. Using mice performing a visual Go/No-Go task, we showed that inactivating M2 projections to the DS impaired performance by increasing the false alarm (FA) rate to the reward-irrelevant No-Go stimulus. The choice signal of M2 neurons correlated with behavioral performance, and the inactivation of M2 neurons projecting to the DS reduced the choice signal in the DS. By measuring and manipulating the responses of direct or indirect pathway striatal neurons defined by M2 inputs, we found that the indirect pathway neurons exhibited a shorter response latency to the No-Go stimulus, and inactivating their early responses increased the FA rate. These results demonstrate that the M2-to-DS pathway is crucial for suppressing inappropriate responses in perceptual decision behavior.
Mice ; Animals ; Motor Cortex ; Corpus Striatum/physiology* ; Neostriatum ; Neurons/physiology* ; Reaction Time

Paralimbic association area in the temporal pole is situated between sensory association areas and the limbic regions and has direct connections with these areas and the ventral striatum. Corticostriatal connections of paralimbic association area in the temporal pole were studied with particular emphasis on specific projections of the ventral striatum to identify different contributions to the functional outcome of the ventral striatum. Retrograde tracers were injected into the five different regions of the ventral striatum such as the ventromedial caudate nucleus, ventral shell, central shell, dorsal core of the nucleus accumbens (NA), and ventrolateral putamen to identify the labeled cells of origin. Present results indicate that the temporal pole has specifically dense projections to the ventral shell of NA. This differential pattern of corticostriatal connectivity suggests that ventral shell region of ventral striatum is preferentially involved in the convergence of sensory and limbic stimulus to motivational and emotional states.
Basal Ganglia ; Caudate Nucleus ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Primates* ; Putamen