Imaging the Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Using 18Fluoro-fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol (18F-FEOBV) Positron Emission Tomography(PET) in Parkinsons Disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often display symptoms, such as constipation, due to denervation of the cholinergic nerves in the gut. It has been hypothesized that PD initiates in the gut years prior to diagnosis. To gain a detailed understanding of the early stages of PD, techniques for quantification of cholinergic nerves are needed. The PET tracer 18F-FEOBV binds specifically to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter, situated in presynaptic cholinergic nerve terminals. The investigators will investigate 18F-FEOBV uptake in the brain and internal organs of 15 patients with moderate-stage PD and compare to 15 healthy controls. Furthermore, findings are correlated to validated clinical tests of the autonomic nervous system. The aim is to validate 18F-FEOBV PET/CT as a clinical imaging modality to diagnose parasympathetic denervation in PD.