PET measurement of serotonin release in brain for investigation into effect of SSRI in depression

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24791250
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: National Institute of Radiological Sciences
• Principal Investigator: IKOMA Yoko 国立研究開発法人放射線医学総合研究所, 分子イメージング研究センター, 主任研究員 (60339687)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: PET / 薬物動態解析 / 受容体結合能 / セロトニン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The function of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) is suggested to relate to the serotonin level in the brain. In this study, we evaluated a method to measure the serotonin level noninvasively from the outside of the body using PET. First, computer simulation was performed to establish the analysis method to detect the changes in the serotonin level from PET images. As a result, the binding potential of receptors estimated by a compartment model with a reference region was demonstrated to correlate with an amount of increase in the serotonin concentration. Next, this method was applied to PET measurements of serotonin receptors for small animals. The binding potentials obtained from PET images became lower after the increase of serotonin concentration caused by administration of SSRI, suggesting the proposed method would be useful for the measurement of changes in serotonin level in the human brain.

Free Research Field

医用画像解析