The study included 123 healthy individuals from a large European multi-center database. They had a BMI range of 18.2-41.1 kg/m2 and were scanned using [123I]FP-CIT SPECT imaging. Scans were analyzed with both region-of-interest and voxel-based analysis to determine the binding potential for DAT availability in the caudate nucleus and putamen. A direct relation between BMI and DAT availability was assessed and groups with high and low BMI were compared for DAT availability.
No association between BMI and striatal DAT availability was found.
The lack of an association between BMI and striatal DAT availability suggests that the regulation of striatal synaptic dopamine levels by DAT plays no or a limited role in the pathophysiology of overweight and obesity.