TY - JOUR T1 - Molecular Imaging Insights into Neurodegeneration: Focus on α-Synuclein Radiotracers JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 1397 LP - 1400 DO - 10.2967/jnumed.113.136515 VL - 55 IS - 9 AU - Maliha Shah AU - John Seibyl AU - Anna Cartier AU - Ram Bhatt AU - Ana M. Catafau Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/55/9/1397.abstract N2 - Neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the presence of α-synuclein—a hallmark of pathologic inclusions termed Lewy bodies—include Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple-system atrophy. Although motor symptoms are related to the altered presynaptic dopaminergic function in these diseases, the appearance of α-synuclein inclusions precedes the involvement of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. Hence, the most accurate and earliest definition of premotor Parkinson’s disease ought to rely on imaging α-synuclein rather than dopaminergic changes. Moreover, dopaminergic imaging has been controversial in monitoring the effects of investigational disease-modifying drugs. For these clinical trials, intense interest in longitudinally imaging α-synuclein as the primary pathologic process has led to efforts toward developing a suitable radiotracer for this key protein. An overview of the present α-synuclein radiotracer development scenario is presented here. ER -