Role of functional magnetic resonance imaging in drug discovery.
In this review, we survey the state of the field of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as it relates to drug discovery and drug development. We highlight the advantages and limitations of fMRI for this purpose and suggest ways to improve the use of fMRI for developing new therapeutics, with emphasis on treatments for anxiety disorders. Fundamentally, pharmacological studies with standard psychiatric treatments using standardized behavioral probes during fMRI will need to be carried out to determine characteristic brain signatures that could be used to predict whether novel compounds are likely to have specific therapeutic effects.
Paulus
Martin P
MP
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C-213, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. mpaulus@ucsd.edu
Stein
Murray B
MB
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs