Fluvoxamine treatment and D2 receptors: a pet study on OCD drug-naïve patients.
Changes in D(2) receptors during antidepressant therapy have been reported in patients with major depressive disorder using PET/SPET. The aim of this study was to evaluate modifications in D(2) receptors that might occur in patients affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during serotonin reuptake sites inhibitors (SSRIs). To this purpose, we measured the in vivo binding of [(11)C]raclopride ([(11)C]Rac)in the brain of a group of OCD naïve patients before and after the repeated administration of the inhibitor SSRI fluvoxamine. Eight patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IVth edition diagnosis of OCD completed the study undergoing a PET scan and a complete clinical evaluation before and during treatment with fluvoxamine. Patients have been compared also with a group of nine age-matched normal volunteers. Fluvoxamine treatment significantly improved clinical symptoms and increased [(11)C]Rac binding potential (BP) in the basal ganglia of OCD patients (7.5+/-5.2, 6.9+/-6.9, and 9.9+/-9.3% in dorsal caudate, dorsal putamen, and ventral basal ganglia, respectively; p<0.01) to values closer to those observed in the group of normal subjects. Chronic treatment with fluvoxamine induces a slight but significant increase in striatal [(11)C]Rac BP of previously drug-naïve OCD patients. The modifications in D(2) receptor availability might be secondary to fluvoxamine effects on serotoninergic activity.
Moresco
Rosa Maria
RM
Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology - National Research Council, Milan, Italy. moresco.rosamaria@hsr.it
Pietra
Lucia
L
Henin
Marta
M
Panzacchi
Andrea
A
Locatelli
Marco
M
Bonaldi
Lorena
L
Carpinelli
Assunta
A
Gobbo
Clara
C
Bellodi
Laura
L
Perani
Daniela
D
Fazio
Ferruccio
F
D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D020891:Raclopride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000187:drug effects
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D020891:Raclopride; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors