Objective: To investigate the relationship between ventral striatum D3 dopamine receptor availability and severity of impulse control disorder (ICD) in Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: Reduced postsynaptic D3 dopaminergic receptor availability has been reported in the ventral striatum of pathological gamblers without Parkinson’s disease (PD) and in patients with PD and impulse control disorders (ICD). However, a direct relationship between ventral striatum dopaminergic dysfunction and the severity of ICD in PD patients has not yet been proven using a validated tool for ICD in PD, such as the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s disease-Rating Scale.

Method: Twelve patients were assessed with PET and the high affinity dopamine D3 receptor radioligand [11C]-PHNO. Severity of ICD was assessed with the validated Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s disease-Rating scale.

Results: We found that lower ventral striatum D3 receptor availability measured with [11C]-PHNO PET was associated with greater severity of ICD.

Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that the occurrence of ICD in Parkinson’s disease might be linked to reductions in ventral striatum dopamine D3 receptor availability. Further studies need to be performed in order to clarify whether lower ventral striatum D3 receptor may reflect a pharmacological downregulation to higher dopamine release in ventral striatum of patients with ICD

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/impulse-control-disorder-and-ventral-striatum-dopamine-d3-receptor-availability-in-parkinsons-disease/