Characterization of the Serotonin 2A Receptor Selective PET Tracer [18F]MH.MZ in Patients With Neurodegenerative Diseases
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Summary
It is hypothesize that patients with clinically diagnosed neurodegenerative diseases will have significantly different receptor occupancy of 5HT2A receptors compared to a healthy age/sex-matched control group. This will be tested by measuring 5HT2A receptor density using the PET radioligand (R)-\[18F\]MH.MZ in both populations.
Description
It is hypothesized that improvement in psychosis symptoms in patients taking pimavanserin will be associated with increased baseline receptor density (Hypothesis 1A), and increased receptor occupancy of 5HT2A receptors following pimavanserin administration (Hypothesis 1B). This will be done by measuring 5HT2A receptor density using the PET radioligand (R)-\[18F\]MH.MZ within predefined symptom networks for hallucinations, delusions, and sleep. A PET scan will be obtained in PD patients with psychosis at enrollment to measure baseline 5HT2A receptor density and then again after 6 weeks of pimav…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 50–85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient arm - clinical diagnosis of Parkinson disease, diffuse Lewy body disease, multiple systems atrophy, Huntington's Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and other variants * Healthy arm - age and gender matched to patient arm * Psychosis (presence of hallucinations or delusions) starting after the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, occurring at least weekly for 4 weeks, severe enough to warrant treatment. * Study partner available for study visits Exclusion Criteria: * Prior stroke or other uncontrolled serious neurological or medical illness * Contra-indication or in…
Interventions
- DrugPimavanserin
PD related Psychosis
Location
- Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Tennessee