Striatal dopamine transporter availability is associated with the productive psychotic state in first episode, drug-naive schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVE

Supposing a "hyperdopaminergic State" associated at least with acute psychotic illness phases in schizophrenia, a direct relationship between striatal dopamine metabolism and the core psychopathological symptoms rarely can be provided. Recently, a new SPECT ligand to the presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) was introduced. Association of DAT availability and the acute psychotic syndrome is now demonstrated in a large cohort of first episode, never treated schizophrenic patients.

METHODS

Twenty-eight inpatients suffering from a first acute exacerbation of schizophrenia and 12 healthy control subjects underwent SPECT scanning with the new radioligand [(99m)Tc]TRODAT-1. On the day of SPECT, psychopathology was assessed using specific scales including PANSS.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in [(99m)Tc]TRODAT-1 specific binding to the striatal DAT comparing both groups. The extend of hallucinations was significantly inversely correlated with DAT availability in patients with a predominantly positive syndrome type.

DISCUSSION

Our data support evidence that differences in presynaptic dopaminergic activity in schizophrenic patients are associated with the extend of the acute psychotic syndrome. [(99m)Tc]TRODAT-1 seems to be a useful agent for in vivo assessment of a psychopathological association with dopamine metabolism.