Serotonin modulation of cerebral glucose metabolism measured with positron emission tomography (PET) in human subjects.
To develop a method to measure the dynamic response of the serotonin system in vivo, the effects of intravenously administered citalopram (the most selective of the serotonin reuptake inhibitors) on cerebral glucose metabolism were evaluated. Cerebral glucose metabolism was measured with positron emission tomography (PET) in 14 normal subjects scanned after administration of saline placebo and citalopram administered on 2 separate days. Citalopram administration resulted in a decrease in metabolism in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 24/32), right superior (BA 9) and right middle frontal gyrus (BA 6), right parietal cortex (precuneus), right superior occipital gyrus, left thalamus, and right cerebellum. Increased metabolism was observed in the left superior temporal gyrus and left occipital cortex. Alterations in metabolism by acute citalopram administration involved the heteromodal association cortices that also show metabolic alterations in patients with geriatric depression and overlap with the regions affected by antidepressant treatment. Future studies will evaluate how the acute metabolic response to citalopram relates to the metabolic response after chronic treatment in patients with geriatric depression.
Department of Psychiatry Research, Hillside Hospital, Neuroscience Institute of the North Shore--Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, New York 11004, USA. gsmith@lij.edu
Gwenn S
GS
Smith
Yilong
Y
Ma
Vijay
V
Dhawan
Handan
H
Gunduz
Maren
M
Carbon
Maggie
M
Kirshner
Jennifer
J
Larson
Thomas
T
Chaly
Abdel
A
Belakhleff
Elisse
E
Kramer
Blaine
B
Greenwald
John M
JM
Kane
Fouzia
F
Laghrissi-Thode
Bruce G
BG
Pollock
David
D
Eidelber
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015283:Citalopram / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D015283:Citalopram; D005947:Glucose; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D011388:Prolactin; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors