Dementia in Parkinson's disease: characterization of transmitter deficits

Background: Up to 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) develop dementia. However, the neurochemical deficit underlying the cognitive decline in these patients is still under debate. To evaluate the contribution of different transmitter systems, PD patients with and without dementia were examined by multitracer PET imaging. Patients and Methods: In 17 non-demented patients with PD (mean age 61.8±8.7 years, mean MMSE score 27.9±1.8 points) and 10 PD patients with dementia (PD-D; 64± 8.1 years, MMSE score 21.0±5.7), PET of cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRGlc; 18FDG), acetylcholine-esterase (AChE) activity…