To investigate the relationship between presenting clinical manifestations and imaging features of multisystem neuronal dysfunction in MSA patients, using ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET).

We studied 50 consecutive MSA patients with characteristic brain MRI findings of MSA, including 34 patients with early MSA-parkinsonian (MSA-P) and 16 with early MSA-cerebellar (MSA-C). The cerebral glucose metabolism of all MSA patients was evaluated in comparison with 25 age-matched controls. ¹⁸F-FDG PET results were assessed by the Statistic Parametric Mapping (SPM) analysis and the regions of interest (ROI) method.

The mean time from disease onset to ¹⁸F-FDG PET was 25.9±13.0 months in 34 MSA-P patients and 20.1±11.1 months in 16 MSA-C patients. Glucose metabolism of the putamen showed a greater decrease in possible MSA-P than in probable MSA-P (p=0.031). Although the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) score did not differ between possible MSA-P and probable MSA-P, the subscores of rigidity (p=0.04) and bradykinesia (p= 0.008) were significantly higher in possible MSA-P than in probable MSA-P. Possible MSA-C showed a greater decrease in glucose metabolism of the cerebellum than probable MSA-C (p=0.016).

Our results may suggest that the early neuropathological pattern of possible MSA with a predilection for the striatonigral or olivopontocerebellar system differs from that of probable MSA, which has prominent involvement of the autonomic nervous system in addition to the striatonigral or olivopontocerebellar system.