Abstract #1556

Correlation Between Dopamine Synthesis and Cell-Level Structure in Human Striate Body Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography with L-[β- 11C]DOPA

Hiroshi Kawaguchi¹, Takayuki Obata¹, Harumasa Takano², Miho Ota², Yoshihide Akine², Hiroshi Ito², Hiroo Ikehira¹, Iwao Kanno¹, Tetsuya Suhara²

¹Department of Biophysics, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan; ²Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan

Positron emission tomography with L-[β-¹¹C]DOPA and diffusion tensor imaging were measured on the same group of volunteers to assess the relationship between dopamine synthesis and cell-level structure in the striate body. There was a negative correlation between dopamine synthesis ratio and mean diffusivity in the left striate body, which indicates that the more water motion is restricted, the more dopamine is synthesized in the left striate body. Assuming that water motion is related to celluarity, the result suggests dopamine synthesis may depend on the density of dopaminergic neurons.