PET ligand-binding-specific imaging proteins in the brain: The application in PTSD

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a dynamic and integrative research tool that is used to conduct empiric studies of neuronal functioning. In the past, attempts to investigate the neurologic dysfunction that characterizes PTSD have been largely limited by our technological capabilities. The development of novel radioligands that are compatible with PET has opened a new avenue of inquiry that allows us to study neurochemical systems in vivo to identify pathophysiology associated with psychiatric syndromes. With the use of precise ligands, PET can be used to trace or quantify any neurobiological process or molecule as long as the ligand can be labeled with a radioisotope.