Dopamine type 2/3 receptor availability in the striatum and social status in human volunteers.
BACKGROUND
Previous positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies in nonhuman primates have shown that striatal dopamine type 2/3 (D(2/3)) receptors correlate with social hierarchy in monkeys and that dominant animals exhibit higher levels of D(2/3) receptor binding. The goal of the present study was to examine this phenomena in human subjects using PET and the radiotracer [(11)C]raclopride.


METHODS
Fourteen healthy volunteers were scanned with [(11)C]raclopride to measure D(2/3) receptor binding potential (BP). Social status was assessed using the Barratt Simplified Measure of Social Status. In addition, participants were asked to assess their level of social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).


RESULTS
A correlation was seen between social status and dopamine D(2/3) receptors, where volunteers with the higher status had higher values for [(11)C]raclopride BP. A similar correlation was seen with the perceived social support, where higher [(11)C]raclopride BP correlated with higher scores on the MSPSS.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study support the hypothesis that social status and social support is correlated with D(2/3) receptor binding.
Martinez
Diana
D
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA. dm437@columbia.edu
Orlowska
Daria
D
Narendran
Rajesh
R
Slifstein
Mark
M
Liu
Fei
F
Kumar
Dileep
D
Broft
Allegra
A
Van Heertum
Ronald
R
Kleber
Herbert D
HD
D000328:Adult; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020891:Raclopride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D020891:Raclopride