HIGHER IN VIVO SEROTONIN‐1A BINDING IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A PET STUDY WITH [11C]WAY‐100635. Issue 3 (13th February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sullivan, Gregory M.; Ogden, R. Todd; Huang, Yung‐yu; Oquendo, Maria A.; Mann, J. John; Parsey, Ramin V.
• Is Part Of: Depression and anxiety. Volume 30:Issue 3(2013:Mar.)
• Page Start: 197
• Page End: 206
• Publication Date: 2013-02-13
• Subjects: Anxiety -- Periodicals; Depression, Mental -- Periodicals; Depression -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety Disorders -- Periodicals; 616.8527005
• DOI: 10.1002/da.22019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1091-4269

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="da22019-sec-0010" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Brain serotonin‐1A receptors (5‐HT<sub>1A</sub>) are implicated in anxiety. We compared regional brain 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> binding in medication‐free participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healthy volunteers using fully quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) methods.</p> </sec> <sec id="da22019-sec-0020" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Twenty patients with DSM‐IV PTSD (13 with comorbid major depressive disorder, [MDD]) and 49 healthy volunteers underwent PET imaging with 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> antagonist radioligand [C‐11]WAY100635. Arterial blood sampling provided a metabolite‐corrected input function and the concentration of free ligand in plasma (f<sub>P</sub>) for estimation of regional binding potential, BP<sub>F</sub> ( = B<sub>available</sub> / K<sub>D</sub>). Linear mixed modeling compared BP<sub>F</sub> between groups across regions of interest (ROIs).</p> </sec> <sec id="da22019-sec-0030" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The PTSD group had higher 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> BP<sub>F</sub> across brain ROIs (P = .0006). Post hoc comparisons showed higher 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> BP<sub>F</sub> in PTSD in all cortical ROIs (26–33%), amygdala (34%), and brainstem raphe nuclei (43%), but not hippocampus. The subgroup of seven PTSD patients without comorbid MDD had higher 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> BP<sub>F</sub> compared with healthy volunteers (P = .03).</p> </sec> <sec id="da22019-sec-0040" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>This is the first report of higher brainstem and forebrain 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> binding in vivo in PTSD. The finding is independent of MDD. PTSD and MDD have in common an upregulation of 5‐HT<sub>1A</sub> binding including midbrain autoreceptors that would favor less firing and serotonin release. This abnormality may represent a common biomarker of these stress‐associated brain disorders.</p> </sec> </abstract>