D2 and 5-HT2 receptor effects of antipsychotics: bridging basic and clinical findings using PET.

The advent of a number of new antipsychotics has been paralleled by efforts to better delineate their mechanisms of action and, in doing so, further our understanding of schizophrenia and its pathophysiology. Technological advances, such as positron emission tomography (PET), have proven to be powerful tools in this process, allowing us to evaluate in vivo models based primarily on in vitro evidence. Combined serotonin-2/dopamine-2 (5-HT2/D2) antagonism represents one such model, and we now have PET evidence available that can be extrapolated to our understanding and clinical use of both conventional and novel antipsychotics.