title: [I-123] ADAM and SPECT in patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy control subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serotonergic dysfunction is considered to be involved in the pathophysiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD). The aim of this study was to investigate serotonin transporter availability in patients with BPD as a marker of the central serotonergic system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight unmedicated patients with BPD and 9 healthy control subjects received single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) 4 hours after injection of 185 MBq [I-123] ADAM (2-([2-([dimethylamino]methyl)phenyl]thio)). As a measure of brain serotonin transporter (SERT) availability, ratios of specific-to-nonspecific [I-123] ADAM binding for the brainstem and hypothalamus were calculated with an occipital reference. Levels of impulsiveness and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean specific-to-nonspecific ratios showed a 43% higher brainstem and a 12% higher hypothalamus ADAM binding in patients, compared with control subjects. We found significant correlations of ADAM binding with both age and impulsiveness but not depression. Associations of BIS scores with ADAM binding remained significant after controlling for age and depression (r = 0.69, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides evidence of a serotonergic dysfunction in patients with BPD and suggests a serotonergic component in the pathophysiology of the disorder. SERT binding reflected the level of impulsiveness as a common feature in BPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schaaff
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pöpperl
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mulert
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juckel
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reicherzer
authors.forename: Christoff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ehmer-von Geiso
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hegerl
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tatsch
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pogarell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002928:Cinanserin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: C413491:2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D002928:Cinanserin