Unchanged striatal dopamine transporter availability in narcolepsy: a PET study with [11C]-CFT.

Objective To investigate dopamine reuptake sites (dopamine transporter) in the caudate nucleus and putamen in narcolepsy. Patients and methods Ten patients with narcolepsy and 15 controls were studied with positron emission tomography. A cocaine analogue [11C]-CFT was used as a radioligand. Results The uptake of[11C]-CFT was within normal limits (89% of age-adjusted control mean in the caudate nucleus and 91% in the putamen) in patients with narcolepsy. Conclusions No evidence of altered striataldopamine transporter availability was found in narcolepsy.