BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of striatal dopamine turnover in patients with de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) for later occurrence of major non-motor health outcomes.

METHODS: This retrospective, observer-blinded cohort study followed up 29 patients with de novo PD for a median of 10.7 years, who completed 18Fluorodopa PET imaging to measure striatal effective distribution volume ratio (EDVR, inverse of dopamine turnover) prior to antiparkinsonian treatment. Outcomes were assessed with a battery of non-motor, health-related quality-of-life and non-motor fluctuation (WOQ-19) measures and survival.

RESULTS: During follow-up, 52% of patients developed wearing-off, 43% neuropsychiatric fluctuations, 35% sensory fluctuations, 32% dementia, 46% depression, 30% psychosis, and PD-related mortality was 26%. Patients with wearing-off and neuropsychiatric fluctuations showed significantly lower baseline EDVR (higher dopamine turnover) in the putamen but not in the caudate nucleus than those without these fluctuations. Consistently, baseline EDVR in the putamen predicted development of wearing-off and neuropsychiatric fluctuations with a lower risk with higher EDVR (lower dopamine turnover), whereas EDVR in caudate nucleus did not correlate with these fluctuations. No relationships were observed between baseline PET measures and the presence of other major health outcomes including survival.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower putaminal dopamine turnover in de novo PD is associated with reduced risk for later neuropsychiatric fluctuations comprising a disease-intrinsic predisposing factor for their development, similar as reported for levodopa-induced motor complications. Striatal (putaminal/caudate) dopamine turnover is not predictive for other long-term major health outcomes. These results should be treated as hypothesis generating and require confirmation.