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Angelo Antonini, MD; Klaus L. Leenders, MD; Hans Reist, PhD; Reinhold Thomann, MD; Hans-F. Beer, PhD; Johannes Locher, MD

Arch Neurol. 1993;50(5):474-480.

Abstract
• Human postmortem and animal experimental results suggest a decline of the cerebral dopaminergic neuronal system with age. In this study, the radiotracer carbon 11-labeled-raclopride and positron emission tomography were applied to determine the effect of age on striatal D₂ dopamine receptors in 32 healthy volunteer subjects (age range, 21 to 68 years; median, 31 years). An index of specific ¹¹C-raclopride binding was calculated for putamen, caudate nucleus, and other brain regions in each subject. A significant decrease with age of the index for specific tracer uptake was found in putamen and caudate nucleus. The decrease was steep until 30 years, but slower afterward. After approximately 30 years of age, the decline of specific ¹¹C-raclopride binding in putamen was found to be 0.6% per year. Our results suggest that D₂ dopamine receptor binding sites (mainly postsynaptically located) decrease as a consequence of normal aging in parallel with the decline of the presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal system.

Author Affiliations
From the Positron Emission Tomography Department (Drs Antonini, Leenders, and Reist) and Radiopharmacy Division (Dr Beer), Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland; the Psychiatry Hospital "Königsfelden," Brugg, Switzerland (Dr Thomann); and the Nuclear Medicine Department, Cantonal Hospital, Aarau, Switzerland (Dr Locher).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication August 18, 1992.

Reprint requests to Positron Emission Tomography Department, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland (Dr Antonini).

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