Cerebral metabolism of Parkinsonian primates 21 days after MPTP

This study evaluates the changes in the local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRg) in primates exposed to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The LCMRg was evaluated 21 days following the last dose of MPTP. At this time, all MPTP-injected animals demonstrated parkinsonism and striatal dopamine was reduced to less than 3% of control values. The structures whose LCMRg was most affected were the motor cortex, the intermediate zone of the putamen, the external segment of the globus pallidus, the medial part of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus (VL_m), visual cortex, locus ceruleus, and the dorsolateral segment of the substantia nigra pars compacta. The structure whose increase in LCMRg correlated most closely to the clinical severity of parkinsonism was the external segment of the globus pallidus.