Fluorodopa uptake and glucose metabolism in early stages of corticobasal degeneration

Fluorodopa (FDOPA) and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET was performed in six pa tients in early stages of corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and compared to P arkinson's disease (PD) patients with a similar degree of bradykinesia and rigidity and to healthy controls. Statistical parametric mapping analysis c omparing CBD to controls showed metabolic decrease in premotor, primary mot or, supplementary motor, primary sensory, prefrontal, and parietal associat ive cortices, and in caudate and thalamus contralateral to the side of clin ical signs. Except for the prefrontal regions a similar metabolic pattern w as observed when CBD was compared to PD. Putamen FDOPA uptake was decreased in both CBD and PD. Caudate FDOPA uptake in CBD patients was decreased con tralateral to clinical signs when compared to controls, but was higher than in PD. In early stages of CBD, FDOPA and FDG PET patterns differed from th ose observed in PD. In CBD the asymmetry in FDOPA uptake was less pronounce d than that of clinical signs or metabolic impairment.