2024
Synaptic loss and its association with symptom severity in Parkinson’s disease
Holmes S, Honhar P, Tinaz S, Naganawa M, Hilmer A, Gallezot J, Dias M, Yang Y, Toyonaga T, Esterlis I, Mecca A, Van Dyck C, Henry S, Ropchan J, Nabulsi N, Louis E, Comley R, Finnema S, Carson R, Matuskey D. Synaptic loss and its association with symptom severity in Parkinson’s disease. Npj Parkinson's Disease 2024, 10: 42. PMID: 38402233, PMCID: PMC10894197, DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00655-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSynaptic density lossPositron emission tomographyBinds to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2AAssociated with symptom severityParkinson's diseaseHigh-resolution positron emission tomographySynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2ADuration of illnessPositron emission tomography scanBrain perfusionIllness durationSymptom severitySeverity of symptomsHC groupSubstantia nigraSynaptic densityLiving brainPD individualsClinical insightsDensity lossPD patientsEmission tomographyBrainSynaptic lossSynapse loss
2021
PET Imaging Estimates of Regional Acetylcholine Concentration Variation in Living Human Brain
Smart K, Naganawa M, Baldassarri SR, Nabulsi N, Ropchan J, Najafzadeh S, Gao H, Navarro A, Barth V, Esterlis I, Cosgrove KP, Huang Y, Carson RE, Hillmer AT. PET Imaging Estimates of Regional Acetylcholine Concentration Variation in Living Human Brain. Cerebral Cortex 2021, 31: 2787-2798. PMID: 33442731, PMCID: PMC8355478, DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa387.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsACh concentrationHuman volunteersHigh ACh concentrationsMuscarinic antagonist scopolamineHealthy human volunteersHuman brainCholinergic receptorsNicotine challengeAntagonist scopolaminePreclinical studiesStriatal regionsPET scansEndogenous neurotransmittersNeuropsychiatric diseasesNonhuman primatesWhole-brain imagesDrug occupancyNicotinic ligandsClinical populationsBrainAcetylcholineDistinct functional rolesStriatumVolunteersFunctional role