Piperidine or piperazine compounds useful for treating neurodegenerated diseases characterized by the lack of dopamine neurons activity or for imaging the dopamine neurons are provided. The compounds are characterized by the formulae:wherein:n is an integer of 1 to 6 X, Y, Z1 and Z2 can be the same or different and are hydrogen, halo, haloalkyl, alkyl, aryl, (C1-C6) alkoxy, N-alkyl, (C2-C6) acyloxy, N-alkylene, —SH, —SR, wherein R is from the same group as R1 and R2 and can be the same or different than R1 and R2, amino, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, C(═O)OR6, —C(═O)NR5R4, NR3R2, or S(═O)kR1 wherein k is 1 or 2, and R1 to R6 are independently hydrogen or (C1-C6) alkylR1, and R2 can be the same or different and are hydrogen, (C1-C6) alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or mercaptoalkyl, —C(═O)OR1, cyano, (C1-C6) alkenyl, (C2-C6) alkynyl, or 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl optionally substituted at the 3-position by Z4 wherein any (C1-C6) alky, (C1-C6) alkanoyl, (C2-C6) alkenyl or (C2-C6) alkynyl can optionally be substituted by 1, 2 or 3 ZR7 can be hydrogen, O or phenylR8 can be hydrogen, phenyl, halophenyl, nitrophenyl, pyridyl, piperonyl or sulfoxonitrophenylZ4 is (C1-C6) alkyl or phenyl, optionally substituted by 1, 2 or 3 Z1 W is O or ST is amino or C1-C6 aminoalkylA is N or CT is C1-C6 alklyl or sulfonyl andV is alkyl (C0-C6), alkenyl, alkynyl, haloaryl, alkyl phenol, alkyl halophenyl, and R1 or R2 as indicated above andφ is phenyl, naphthyl, thienyl or pyridinyl.
