The relationship of dopamine receptor binding in the caudate nucleus and
the putamen to neurological and neuropsychological functioning was examined
in 21 patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and eight individuals at risk
of developing Huntington's disease. A significant reduction in relative
binding of [11C]3-N-methylspiperone to the dopamine receptor was found in
both the caudate and putamen of HD patients. Binding in the caudate was
correlated only with tests of rapid coding and set alternation, while
binding in the putamen was correlated only with duration of illness. The
findings indicate that the well-described atrophic changes in the striatum
of Huntington's disease patients are accompanied by receptor alterations.
They also support previous animal and human studies indicating that the
caudate nucleus plays a larger role in cognition than in motor
functions.
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