Methylphenidate’s Effect on Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Narcolepsy

Abstract

We performed 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer brain single-photon emission computed tomography before and after administering methyl-phenidate, for four weeks, to narcolepsy patients with cataplexy. Cerebral blood flow increased in the bilateral cingulate gyri and both thalami with methylphenidate treatment as compared to pre-methylphenidate treatment. methylphenidate treatment also produced an regional cerebral blood flow increase in the bilateral nucleus accumbens, cingulate gyri, superior frontal gyri, and bilateral amygdalo-hippocampi and parahippocampal gyri as compared to pre-methylphenidate treatment. Moreover, no brain region showed a significant regional cerebral blood flow decrease after methylphenidate treatment.

Keywords

• Narcolepsy
• Methylphenidate
• Cerebral blood flow