title: [Benzodiazepine receptor imaging in the brain: recent developments and clinical validity].
abstract: Recent developments of benzodiazepine receptor imaging (123I-Iomazenil SPECT and 11C-Flumazenil PET) in neuropsychiatric disorders were reviewed. In focal epilepsy, a number of previous studies have reported a decreased benzodiazepine receptor binding in epileptic foci and greater sensitivity compared to regional cerebral blood flow imaging, especially for diagnosis of medial temporal lobe epilepsy. These findings indicate clinical validity of benzodiazepine receptor imaging in focal epilepsy and may be related to the "disinhibition mechanism" in GABA/benzodiazepine systems underlying epilepsy. In panic disorder, abnormal benzodiazepine receptor bindings are recently demonstrated in the temporal, parietal or frontal cortex. Further studies would clarify the "benzodiazepine dysfunction hypothesis" in panic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morimoto
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil; C063038:iomazenil