11 C( R )-PK11195 PET imaging of microglial activation in multiple system atrophy

Microglia, the brain's intrinsic macrophages, bind (R)-PK11195 when activated by neuronal injury. The authors used 11C(R)-PK11195 PET to localize in vivo microglial activation in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Increased 11C(R)-PK11195 binding was primarily found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, putamen, pallidum, pons, and substantia nigra, reflecting the known distribution of neuropathologic changes in MSA. Providing an indicator of disease activity, 11C(R)-PK11195 PET can thus be used to characterize the in vivo neuropathology of MSA.