Clinicians have long associated Parkinson's disease (PD) with
personality traits such as seriousness and industriousness. In previous
studies, patients with PD scored lower than matched orthopedic control
subjects on novelty seeking, which is thought to be dopamine dependent. In
this pilot study, 6-[18F]fluorodopa ([18F]dopa) uptake in the caudate and
putamen was measured by PET in 9 patients with PD. Patients were also rated
on three personality traits thought to be related to central monoamine
function. Uptake of [18F]dopa in the left caudate, but not in other areas
measured, was significantly correlated with novelty seeking. Results
suggest that the personality traits long observed in PD patients may be
partially mediated by striatal deficits in dopamine.
Abstract Teaser