TY - JOUR T1 - Nigrostriatal Dopamine Terminal Imaging with Dopamine Transporter SPECT: An Update JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 1331 LP - 1338 DO - 10.2967/jnumed.112.105379 VL - 54 IS - 8 AU - Klaus Tatsch AU - Gabriele Poepperl Y1 - 2013/08/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/54/8/1331.abstract N2 - This article gives an update on nigrostriatal dopamine terminal imaging, with emphasis on SPECT performed with the presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) ligand 123I-FP-CIT. The paper covers the rational use of this technique in the diagnostic work-up of patients with known or suspected parkinsonian syndromes. In detail, it addresses the impact of the method for the proof or exclusion of neurodegenerative parkinsonism, for its early and preclinical diagnosis, and for the evaluation of disease progression. The importance of normal DAT binding for differentiating symptomatic parkinsonism and relevant tremor syndromes from neurodegeneration is highlighted. Particularly emphasized is the role of DAT SPECT for diagnosing Lewy body dementia and its separation from Alzheimer dementia. Finally, some remarks deal with the economic aspects of the use of these imaging techniques in the clinical setting. ER -