Cerebrospinal fluid 5-HIAA concentrations correlate with cardiac uptake of 123 I-MIBG during myocardial scintigraphy in drug naïve Parkinson’s disease

We examined the correlations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and imaging assessment scores, using 123 I-Ioflupane SPECT and 123 I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy in 23 drug naïve PD patients. The CSF 5-HIAA concentration correlated with the H/M ratio of the delayed image ( r = 0.458, p < 0.05) and the washout rate ( r = − 0.642, p < 0.01) of 123 I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy. These correlations suggest some unclarified pathophysiological links between the central serotonergic and cardiac sympathetic systems.