Dopamine transporter imaging in neurodegenerative disorders

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is responsible for the re-uptake of dopamine from the synaptic cleft and is located on dopaminergic nerve terminals only. DAT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, therefore, offer the unique opportunity to study via striatal uptake the integrity of presynaptic dopaminergic nerve terminals in vivo. In recent years SPECT and PET using specific ligands binding to DAT have evolved as an useful tool for diagnosing and monitoring progression of neurodegenerative disorders affecting dopaminergic systems. This article briefly reviews the literature dealing with DTA SPECT and PET imaging in Parkinsonism and other neurodegenerative disorders