SEROTONINERGIC TERMINAL TRANSPORTERS ARE DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECTED IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE AND PROGRESSIVE SUPRANUCLEAR PALSY - AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDY WITH [H-3] CITALOPRAM

Receptor autoradiography with [H-3]citalopram as ligand was used to st udy the distribution of serotonin uptake binding sites in post mortem brain tissues from patients with Parkinson's disease, progressive supr anuclear palsy and from age-matched controls. Significant decreases in [H-3]citalopram binding sites were found in the cerebral cortex of pa tients with Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. De nsities of [H-3]citalopram binding sites were significantly reduced in all components of the basal ganglia of Parkinson's disease but only i n the head of caudate nucleus of progressive supranuclear palsy patien ts. The density of [H-3]citalopram binding sites in the raphe nuclei o f Parkinson's disease was comparable to control values. Our results su ggest that serotoninergic terminals are differentially affected in Par kinson's disease and in progressive supranuclear palsy.