Recent Advancement and Clinical Implications of 18FDG-PET in Parkinson's Disease, Atypical Parkinsonisms, and Other Movement Disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The molecular imaging field has been very instrumental in identifying the multiple network interactions that compose the human brain. The cerebral glucose metabolism is associated with neural function. 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET) studies reflect brain metabolism in a pattern-specific manner. This article reviews FDG-PET studies in Parkinson's disease (PD), atypical parkinsonism (AP), Huntington's disease (HD), and dystonia.

RECENT FINDINGS: The metabolic pattern of PD, disease progression, non-motor symptoms such as fatigue, depression, apathy, impulse control disorders, and cognitive impairment, and the risk of progression to dementia have been identified with FDG-PET studies. In prodromal PD, the REM sleep behavior disorder-related covariance pattern has been described. In AP, FDG-PET studies have demonstrated to be superior to D2/D3 SPECT in differentiating PD from AP. The metabolic patterns of HD and dystonia have also been described. FDG-PET studies are an excellent tool to identify patterns of brain metabolism.