title: Norepinephrine Transporter in Major Depressive Disorder: A PET Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The norepinephrine transporter has been suggested to play a crucial role in major depressive disorder. However, norepinephrine transporter availability in major depressive disorder and its role with clinical symptoms are not known. The authors tested norepinephrine transporter availability in patients with major depressive disorder with the aim to identify any associations between test results and clinical symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present research was a cross-sectional study in which 19 patients with major depressive disorder and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects underwent positron emission tomography scanning to evaluate the norepinephrine transporter availability measured by the radioligand (S,S)-[18F]FMeNER-D2. Norepinephrine transporter availability in the thalamus and its subregions was quantified in terms of nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND). The authors also analyzed the association between norepinephrine transporter availability and clinical symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy subjects, patients with major depressive disorder showed 29.0% higher BPNDvalues in the thalamus and, in particular, 28.2% higher values in the thalamic subregion anatomically connected to the prefrontal cortex. Elevated norepinephrine transporter availability in the thalamus in patients was positively correlated with attention, as measured by the Trail Making Test, part A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings revealed altered norepinephrine transmission in patients with major depressive disorder, suggesting that this alteration could be related to attention in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Harumasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahata
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokokawa
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Ming-Rong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Decoding and Controlling Brain Information, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; and the Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suhara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009025:Morpholines; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: C506462:2-(alpha-(2-fluoromethoxyphenoxy)benzyl)morpholine; D009025:Morpholines; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493227:SLC6A2 protein, human; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: Attention; Brain Imaging Techniques; Major Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders-Unipolar; Norepinephrine Transporter; Positron Emission Tomography; Stress