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- Title
Decreased brainstem and putamen SERT binding potential in depressed suicide attempters using [11C]-zient PET imaging.
- Authors
Nye, Jonathon A; Purselle, David; Plisson, Christophe; Voll, Ronald J; Stehouwer, Jeffrey S; Votaw, John R; Kilts, Clinton D; Goodman, Mark M; Nemeroff, Charles B
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Deficits in serotonergic neurotransmission have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and suicidality. The present study utilized a novel positron-emission tomography (PET) ligand to quantitate and compare brain regional serotonin transporter (SERT) binding potential in depressed patients with a past history of suicide attempts to that of healthy comparison subjects. <bold>Method: </bold>We used [(11) C]-ZIENT PET to label SERT in the serotonergic cell body rich brainstem, and forebrain projection fields. Quantitative PET emission data from 21 adults (10 healthy controls and 11 drug-free patients with major depression) was used for group comparison. SERT binding potential (BPND ) in eight MRI-based brain regions of interest (ROI) were compared in high-resolution PET images. <bold>Results: </bold>SERT binding potential was significantly decreased in the midbrain/pons (P = .029) and putamen (P = .04) of depressed patients with a past suicide attempt relative to comparison subjects. Forebrain SERT binding was also reduced in the patient sample, though these region effects did not survive a multiple comparison correction. <bold>Conclusion: </bold>These results suggest that decreased availability of the brainstem and basal ganglia SERT represents a biomarker of depression and thus confirm and extend the role of dysregulation of brain serotonergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of depression and suicide.
- Publication
Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 2013, Vol 30, Issue 10, p902
- ISSN
1091-4269
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1002/da.22049