BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to investigate the serotonin transporter (SERT) in various brain regions of alcoholics using positron emission tomography and C-11 McN5652. METHOD: Thirty-two adult subjects were involved, 17 social drinkers as control subjects and 15 subjects who were abstinent or recovering alcoholics. Concomitant psychiatric diseases were ruled out based on DSM-IV criteria. The majority of subjects were men. Radioligand binding in 11 brain areas was expressed as the total distribution volume (DV), distribution volume of specific binding (DV(spec)), and distribution volume ratio (DVR). The cerebellum was used as reference tissue for calculation of DV(spec) and DVR. RESULTS: In subjects with a history of alcoholism, DV was lower in all brain regions, with significant differences in the midbrain, thalamus, amygdala, pons, cingulate gyrus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum. Additionally, DV(spec) was lower in all brain regions, but differences were only significant in the midbrain; DVR was lower in nine regions but the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate lower binding of [(11)C](+)McN5652 to the SERT in the brain of abstinent or recovering alcoholics compared with control subjects. Differences in the radioligand distribution volumes are more significant before than after correction for nonspecific binding of the radioligand.
BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to investigate the serotonin transporter (SERT) in various brain regions of alcoholics using positron emission tomography and C-11 McN5652. METHOD: Thirty-two adult subjects were involved, 17 social drinkers as control subjects and 15 subjects who were abstinent or recovering alcoholics. Concomitant psychiatric diseases were ruled out based on DSM-IV criteria. The majority of subjects were men. Radioligand binding in 11 brain areas was expressed as the total distribution volume (DV), distribution volume of specific binding (DV(spec)), and distribution volume ratio (DVR). The cerebellum was used as reference tissue for calculation of DV(spec) and DVR. RESULTS: In subjects with a history of alcoholism, DV was lower in all brain regions, with significant differences in the midbrain, thalamus, amygdala, pons, cingulate gyrus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum. Additionally, DV(spec) was lower in all brain regions, but differences were only significant in the midbrain; DVR was lower in nine regions but the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate lower binding of [(11)C](+)McN5652 to the SERT in the brain of abstinent or recovering alcoholics compared with control subjects. Differences in the radioligand distribution volumes are more significant before than after correction for nonspecific binding of the radioligand.
Authors: Swen Hesse; Peter Brust; Peter Mäding; Georg-Alexander Becker; Marianne Patt; Anita Seese; Dietlind Sorger; Jörg Zessin; Philipp M Meyer; Donald Lobsien; Sven Laudi; Bernd Habermann; Frank Füchtner; Julia Luthardt; Anke Bresch; Jörg Steinbach; Osama Sabri Journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2012-02-17 Impact factor: 9.236
Authors: Una D McCann; Zsolt Szabo; Esen Seckin; Peter Rosenblatt; William B Mathews; Hayden T Ravert; Robert F Dannals; George A Ricaurte Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2005-09 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Nikos Makris; Marlene Oscar-Berman; Sharon Kim Jaffin; Steven M Hodge; David N Kennedy; Verne S Caviness; Ksenija Marinkovic; Hans C Breiter; Gregory P Gasic; Gordon J Harris Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2008-03-28 Impact factor: 13.382