18F-fallypride binding potential in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls.
BACKGROUND
Molecular imaging of dopaminergic parameters has contributed to the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, expanding our understanding of pathophysiology, clinical phenomenology and treatment. Our aim in this study was to compare (18)F-fallypride binding potential BP(ND) in a group of patients with schizophrenia-spectrum illness vs. controls, with a particular focus on the cortex and thalamus.


METHODS
We acquired (18)F-fallypride positron emission tomography images on 33 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (28 with schizophrenia; 5 with schizoaffective disorder) and 18 normal controls. Twenty-four patients were absolutely neuroleptic naïve and nine were previously medicated, although only four had a lifetime neuroleptic exposure of greater than two weeks. Parametric images of (18)F-fallypride BP(ND) were calculated to compare binding across subjects.


RESULTS
Decreased BP(ND) was observed in the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus, prefrontal cortex, lateral temporal lobe and primary auditory cortex. These findings were most marked in subjects who had never previously received medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The regions with decreased BP(ND) tend to match brain regions previously reported to show alterations in metabolic activity and blood flow and areas associated with the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Lehrer
Douglas S
DS
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, c/o Department of Psychiatry, East Medical Plaza,627 South Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Dayton, OH 45408, USA. Douglas.lehrer@wright.edu
Christian
Bradley T
BT
Kirbas
Cemil
C
Chiang
Meicheng
M
Sidhu
Shawn
S
Short
Holly
H
Wang
Binquan
B
Shi
Bingzhi
B
Chu
King-Wai
KW
Merrill
Brian
B
Buchsbaum
Monte S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001549:Benzamides / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
D001549:Benzamides; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; C094948:N-((1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)-5-(3-fluoropropyl)-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide; D011759:Pyrrolidines