Purpose: The presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) modulates the uptake of dopamine by regulating its concentration in the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate the DAT binding potential (DAT-BP) in a sample of healthy Brazilians through [99mTc] TRODAT-1 single-photon emission computed tomography imaging.
Methods: We selected 126 healthy individuals comprising 72 men and 54 women, aged 18-80 years. We conducted semi-quantitative evaluation in transaxial slices, following which we identified the regions of interest in the striatal region using the occipital lobe as a region of non-specific DAT-BP. We found a decrease in DAT-BP in healthy individuals aged over 30 years, culminating in a 42% mean reduction after 80 years.
Results: There was no difference in the decrease by age group between the right (R2 linear=0.466) and left striatum (R2 linear=0.510). Women presented a higher DAT-BP than men (women: R2 linear=0.431; men: R2 linear=0.457); nonetheless, their decrease by age group was equal to that in men.
Conclusion: Our study sheds light on important DAT-BP findings in healthy Brazilian subjects. Our results will facilitate understanding of brain illnesses that involve the dopamine system, such as neuropsychiatric disorders.