BACKGROUND: The psychosis phenotype appears to exist in the population as a continuum, but it is not clear if subclinical psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorders share the same neurobiology. We investigated whether the dopaminergic dysfunction seen in psychotic disorders is also present in healthy, well-functioning people with hallucinations. METHODS: We compared dopamine synthesis capacity (using 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-DOPA [[(18)F]-DOPA] positron emission tomography imaging) in 16 healthy individuals with frequent persistent auditory verbal hallucinations (hallucinating group) with that in 16 matched controls. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum, or its functional subdivisions, between groups and no relationship between subclinical psychotic symptom severity or schizotypal traits and dopamine synthesis capacity in the hallucinating group. CONCLUSIONS: Altered dopamine synthesis capacity is unlikely to underlie subclinical hallucinations, suggesting that although there may be a phenomenological psychosis continuum, there are distinctions at the neurobiological level.
BACKGROUND: The psychosis phenotype appears to exist in the population as a continuum, but it is not clear if subclinical psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorders share the same neurobiology. We investigated whether the dopaminergic dysfunction seen in psychotic disorders is also present in healthy, well-functioning people with hallucinations. METHODS: We compared dopamine synthesis capacity (using 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-DOPA [[(18)F]-DOPA] positron emission tomography imaging) in 16 healthy individuals with frequent persistent auditory verbal hallucinations (hallucinating group) with that in 16 matched controls. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum, or its functional subdivisions, between groups and no relationship between subclinical psychotic symptom severity or schizotypal traits and dopamine synthesis capacity in the hallucinating group. CONCLUSIONS: Altered dopamine synthesis capacity is unlikely to underlie subclinical hallucinations, suggesting that although there may be a phenomenological psychosis continuum, there are distinctions at the neurobiological level.
Authors: Anissa Abi-Dargham; Lawrence S Kegeles; Yolanda Zea-Ponce; Osama Mawlawi; Diana Martinez; Vivian Mitropoulou; Karen O'Flynn; Harold W Koenigsberg; Ronald Van Heertum; Thomas Cooper; Marc Laruelle; Larry J Siever Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2004-05-15 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Alexander Hammers; Richard Allom; Matthias J Koepp; Samantha L Free; Ralph Myers; Louis Lemieux; Tejal N Mitchell; David J Brooks; John S Duncan Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2003-08 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: A Amad; A Cachia; P Gorwood; D Pins; C Delmaire; B Rolland; M Mondino; P Thomas; R Jardri Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2013-01-15 Impact factor: 15.992
Authors: Brandon Abbs; Rashmin M Achalia; Adegoke O Adelufosi; Ahmet Yiğit Aktener; Natalie J Beveridge; Savita G Bhakta; Rachael K Blackman; Emre Bora; M S Byun; Maurice Cabanis; Ricardo Carrion; Christina A Castellani; Tze Jen Chow; M Dmitrzak-Weglarz; Charlotte Gayer-Anderson; Felipe V Gomes; Kristen Haut; Hiroaki Hori; Joshua T Kantrowitz; Taishiro Kishimoto; Frankie H F Lee; Ashleigh Lin; Lena Palaniyappan; Meina Quan; Maria D Rubio; Sonia Ruiz de Azúa; Saddichha Sahoo; Gregory P Strauss; Aleksandra Szczepankiewicz; Andrew D Thompson; Antonella Trotta; Laura M Tully; Hiroyuki Uchida; Eva Velthorst; Jared W Young; Anne O'Shea; Lynn E Delisi Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2012-08-19 Impact factor: 4.939