Alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors availability in schizophrenia: A PET study

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K10186
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Wakuda Tomoyasu 浜松医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (80444355)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 横倉 正倫 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00529399) ; 間賀田 泰寛 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 教授 (20209399) ; 尾内 康臣 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 教授 (40436978)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ポジトロン断層法 / 統合失調症 / アセチルコリン受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aim to clarify availability of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in the brains of patients with schizophrenia using positron emission tomography (PET) with a ligand of [11C](R)-MeQAA. We opted for 4 cortical areas, the middle frontal cortices, superior frontal cortices, hippocampus, and thalamus, as regions of interest (ROIs). There was no significant differences in [11C]MeQAA binding potential(BPND) in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. However there was a significant negative correlation between the severity of schizophrenia and [11C]MeQAA BPND in the middle frontal cortices, superior frontal cortices, and thalamus. These results indicate that α7 nAChR may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, therefore further evaluations with more participants will be required.

Free Research Field

精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、PETを用いて統合失調症者のα7nAChRの有用性について検討した。最先端のPET技術を用いて、これまで明らかにされていなかった統合失調症者のα7nAChRの有用性を検討した学術的意義は極めて大きい。また、本研究で統合失調症の症状が重度であるほどα7nAChRの有用性は低い傾向が認められた。今回の成果によりα7nAChRを標的とした統合失調症の新規治療薬の開発につながる可能性がある。