title: Lower [3H]Citalopram binding in brain areas related to social cognition in alcoholics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, putative alterations in the serotonin transporter density were evaluated in anterior and posterior insula, posterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and dorsal raphe nucleus in Cloninger type 1 (n = 9) and type 2 (n = 8) alcoholics and non-alcoholic controls (n = 10).
  
  
  METHODS
  Human whole-hemisphere autoradiography was used to measure [3H]citalopram binding to serotonin transporters in eight brain areas in all post-mortem brains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were observed in the mean [3H]citalopram binding between the study groups, with antisocial type 2 alcoholics showing the lowest binding. Differences between the study groups were prominent in the posterior insula and posterior cingulate cortex, where both alcoholic groups had low [3H]citalopram binding, and in the parahippocampal gyrus where only antisocial type 2 alcoholics had low [3H]citalopram binding when compared with non-alcoholic controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although these data are preliminary, and from relatively small diagnostic groups, these results show that alcoholics may have lower serotonergic tone in the brain, thus decreasing social cognition and increasing alcohol-cue reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kärkkäinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laukkanen
authors.affiliation: Mielenportti, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haukijärvi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland Unit of Primary Health Care, Kuopio University Hospital, FI-70029 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kautiainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland markus.storvik@uef.fi.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Storvik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001345:Autoradiography; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015283:Citalopram / Q000378:metabolism*; D065847:Dorsal Raphe Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012938:Social Perception
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors