Decreased serotonin 2A receptor densities in neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia: A PET study using [(18)F]setoperone.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compared serotonin receptor binding in patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects.


METHODS
They used positron emission tomography with [(18)F]setoperone to examine six patients with schizophrenia who had never been given neuroleptics and seven age-matched subjects who did not have schizophrenia.


RESULTS
A nondirected voxel-based analysis of the subjects' entire search volume found that serotonin 2A binding potential in the frontal cortex index was significantly smaller (by 16.3%) in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors conclude that the decrease in serotonin receptor densities previously reported in postmortem studies of subjects with schizophrenia are present at the onset of the illness, before exposure to neuroleptics.
Ngan
E T
ET
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. ngan@unixg.ubc.ca
Yatham
L N
LN
Ruth
T J
TJ
Liddle
P F
PF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C045359:setoperone