Korean J Psychopharmacol.  2004 Mar;15(1):75-83.

Correlation between Psychopathology and Dopamine Transporter Density in Striatum before and after Taking Olanzapine Assessed with IPT-SPECT in First Episode Schizophrenia

• Kim CE
• Lee MH
• Lee PG
• Choe WS
• Pyo SJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Using [123I]IPT-SPECT, we compared between the dopamine transporter (DAT) density of the basal ganglia in first-episode, patients with schizophrenia and DAT density in normal control subjects. We investigated the change between DAT density before and after taking olanzapine during 4weeks in patients with schizophrenia. We studied correlations between the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia and DAT density. METHODS: Ten patients with schizophrenia and ten healthy control subjects were included in this study. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were obtained before and after 4-week treatment with olanzapine in schizophrenic group. Nuclear imaging using [123I]IPT-SPECT was obtained in normal control subjects and schizophrenic group before taking olanzapine. After 4-week treatment with olanzapine, Nuclear imaging was obtained in schizophrenic group. RESULTS: There is significant negative correlation between BPRS total score, withdrawal subscale score after treatment and DAT density before treatment. There is significant positive correlation between the age of onset and DAT density after treatment and there is significant negative correlation between the duration of illness and DAT density after treatment. CONCLUSION: The data of this study suggest that DAT density in basal ganglia in patients with schizophrenia would be a predicting factor in treatment response.

Keyword

[123I]IPT-SPECT; Dopamine transporter; Schizophrenia; Olanzapine

MeSH Terms

Age of Onset
Basal Ganglia
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
Depression
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins*
Dopamine*
Humans
Psychopathology*
Schizophrenia*
Dopamine
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins