Objective: Investigate the cholinergic integrity of the central nervous system in dementia with Lewy bodies using PET and a tracer for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter.

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is characterised by profound cerebral cholinergic alterations. The cholinergic PET tracer [18F]FEOBV is a ligand for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter and very specific to cholinergic pre-synaptic terminals. A study using FEOBV and PET in four patients with DLB has been published [1]. We aim to replicate and expand on their findings using a larger sample size. Further, we want to correlate the signal to relevant symptoms and signs.

Method: Twenty-five non-diabetic patients with probable DLB and 20 healthy elderly controls matched on sex and age will be invited for cerebral MRI and FEOBV-PET of the cerebrum and internal organs. Extensive neuropsychological assessment is undertaken within the five major cognitive domains. Motor-status is characterised using alternate tapping test and the MDS-UPDRS. Furthermore, tests are administered to assess olfaction, color vision, non-motor symptoms, symptoms of RBD, visual hallucinations, depressive symptoms, fluctuations, and orthostatic hypotension.

Results: Twenty-one patients with DLB and 16 healthy, elderly controls have been included as of March 2022. Here we present the results based on a preliminary analysis of 10 patients and 10 controls. For the MDS-conference we will present a full dataset. A highly significant decrease in specific uptake of FEOBV was observed across all regions investigated including frontal (-39%), temporal (-45%), parietal (-58%), and occipital cortices (-65%). The signal was also decreased in the hippocampus (-32%), amygdala (-29%), and thalamus (-32%). We explored the uptake in selected subcortical structures located in the basal forebrain, olfactory tubercle, dorsal medulla, and pontomesencephalic junction.

Conclusion: The results from a previous study were robustly replicated in this preliminary analysis. In the analysis on the full dataset, we will explore subcortical structures and correlations between signal of FEOBV and cognition, olfaction, and colour vision. A similar abstract has been submitted for the ILBDC in June 2022.

References: 1. Nejad-Davarani S, Koeppe RA, Albin RL, Frey KA, Müller ML, Bohnen NI. Quantification of brain cholinergic denervation in dementia with Lewy bodies using PET imaging with [18 F]-FEOBV. Molecular psychiatry. 2018:1.

« Back to 2022 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/visualising-cholinergic-nerves-in-dementia-with-lewy-bodies-using-pet-and-feobv/