title: Dopamine transporter availability and depressive symptoms during alcohol withdrawal.
abstract: Alcohol-related temporary depressive symptoms are hypothesized to be related to dopaminergic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not depressive symptoms correlate with reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. We studied the DAT availability in 28 alcoholic subjects with beta-CIT ([123-iodium]-2-betacarbomethoxy-3-beta-(4-iodophenyl)-tropa ne) single photon emission tomography (SPET) and found a reduction in DAT availability during withdrawal that subsequently showed a significant increase during sobriety. The relationship between DAT availability and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating scale scores, both during withdrawal and after sobriety, was assessed. The main finding was a statistically significant correlation between DAT variances and depressive symptom scores during both states. The findings indicate a possible dopaminergic etiology for depressive symptoms in alcohol withdrawal, which suggests that dopaminergic antidepressants might be beneficial in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Finland. plaine@sun3.oulu.fi
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003863:Depression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493214:SLC6A3 protein, human; C069723:2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine