title: Serotonin and molecular neuroimaging in humans using PET.
abstract: The serotonergic system is one of the most important modulatory neurotransmitter systems in the human brain. It plays a central role in major physiological processes and is implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders. Along with the dopaminergic system, it is also one of the phylogenetically oldest human neurotransmitter systems and one of the most diverse, with 14 different receptors identified up to this day, many of whose function remains to be understood. The system's functioning is even more diverse than the number of its receptors, since each is implicated in a number of different processes. This review aims at illustrating the distribution and summarizing the main functions of the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamin, 5-HT) receptors as well as the serotonin transporter (SERT, 5-HTT), the vesicular monoamine transporter 2, monoamine oxidase type A and 5-HT synthesis in the human brain. Recent advances in in vivo quantification of these different receptors and enzymes that are part of the serotonergic system using positron emission tomography are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saulin
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Savli
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lanzenberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D018490:Serotonin Agents; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase