BACKGROUND: Results from studies in serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) knockout mice and previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies in humans imply a role for 5-HT1A receptors in normal state anxiety as well as in certain anxiety disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BP) in social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHODS: Using PET and [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635, we compared a homogeneous group of 12 unmedicated, male SAD patients with 18 healthy control subjects (HC). A multivariate ANOVA with all regional BP values as dependent variables, age and four radiochemical variables as covariates was performed. RESULTS: We found a significantly lower 5-HT1A BP in several limbic and paralimbic areas but not in the hippocampus (p = .234) of SAD patients. The difference in 5-HT1A binding was most significant in the amygdala (-21.4%; p = .003). There was also a more than 20% lower 5-HT(1A) BP of SAD patients in the anterior cingulate cortex (p = .004), insula (p = .003), and dorsal raphe nuclei (p = .030). CONCLUSIONS: The lower 5-HT1A binding in the amygdala and mesiofrontal areas of SAD patients is consistent with 1) preclinical findings of elevated anxiety in 5-HT1A knockout mice, 2) a previous PET study in healthy volunteers showing an inverse correlation between 5-HT1A BP and state anxiety, and 3) another human PET study in patients with panic disorder showing reduced 5-HT1A binding, thus corroborating the potential validity of 5-HT1A receptors as targets in the treatment of human anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND: Results from studies in serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) knockout mice and previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies in humans imply a role for 5-HT1A receptors in normal state anxiety as well as in certain anxiety disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BP) in social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHODS: Using PET and [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635, we compared a homogeneous group of 12 unmedicated, male SADpatients with 18 healthy control subjects (HC). A multivariate ANOVA with all regional BP values as dependent variables, age and four radiochemical variables as covariates was performed. RESULTS: We found a significantly lower 5-HT1A BP in several limbic and paralimbic areas but not in the hippocampus (p = .234) of SADpatients. The difference in 5-HT1A binding was most significant in the amygdala (-21.4%; p = .003). There was also a more than 20% lower 5-HT(1A) BP of SADpatients in the anterior cingulate cortex (p = .004), insula (p = .003), and dorsal raphe nuclei (p = .030). CONCLUSIONS: The lower 5-HT1A binding in the amygdala and mesiofrontal areas of SADpatients is consistent with 1) preclinical findings of elevated anxiety in 5-HT1A knockout mice, 2) a previous PET study in healthy volunteers showing an inverse correlation between 5-HT1A BP and state anxiety, and 3) another human PET study in patients with panic disorder showing reduced 5-HT1A binding, thus corroborating the potential validity of 5-HT1A receptors as targets in the treatment of humananxiety disorders.
Authors: Andreas Hahn; Wolfgang Wadsak; Christian Windischberger; Pia Baldinger; Anna S Höflich; Jan Losak; Lukas Nics; Cécile Philippe; Georg S Kranz; Christoph Kraus; Markus Mitterhauser; Georgios Karanikas; Siegfried Kasper; Rupert Lanzenberger Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2012-01-30 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: G M Alexander; J D Graef; J A Hammarback; B K Nordskog; E J Burnett; J B Daunais; A J Bennett; D P Friedman; S J Suomi; D W Godwin Journal: Neuroscience Date: 2012-01-21 Impact factor: 3.590
Authors: Ursula F Bailer; Cinnamon S Bloss; Guido K Frank; Julie C Price; Carolyn C Meltzer; Chester A Mathis; Mark A Geyer; Angela Wagner; Carl R Becker; Nicholas J Schork; Walter H Kaye Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2010-09-24 Impact factor: 4.861
Authors: Mahmoud R Hadjighassem; Mark C Austin; Bernadeta Szewczyk; Mireille Daigle; Craig A Stockmeier; Paul R Albert Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2009-05-07 Impact factor: 13.382